A horrific fall on the ski jump. A terrifying scream and the end of dreams.
A dramatic fall occurred during Thursday's competition on the normal course. Eva Pinkelnig won the official training session and then fell on landing near the 98th meter mark in the final round of the competition.
Eva Pinkelnig's Fatal Fall: The Austrian Ended Her Olympic DreamsImmediately after her fall, the ski jumper began screaming in agony. It was clear that something truly serious had happened.
At 37, Pinkelnig may have been approaching the Olympic season, likely the last of her career, with high hopes. Unfortunately, those hopes will likely have to be shelved.
"A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan conducted late Thursday evening at the private clinic in Hochrum revealed that Eva Pinkelnig suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament and damage to the medial and lateral meniscus in her left knee during her fall in Predazzo. Cartilage damage was also detected. The athlete will undergo surgery in Hochrum today. Consequently, the athlete from Vorarlberg will not compete again in the remainder of the season," the Austrian Ski Association said in a statement.
The end of Pinkelnig's season is a huge blow for the athlete. This injury casts a shadow over the entire weekend of competition in Predazzo.
Jan Hoerl's Pre-Olympic Trial: Poles Below ExpectationsOn Thursday (September 18th), the individual competition of the Summer Grand Prix took place at the Olympic-sized Trampolino Dal Ben in Predazzo. The normal-sized facility proved to be the most successful for Jan Hoerl. The Austrian set a summer record for the facility in the first round, with a jump of 107.5 meters. Another Austrian jumper, Daniel Tschofenig, finished second, and Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi, third, rounded out the podium.
The final series of ski jumpers included some Polish representatives. However, the Poles weren't exactly in top form, which is certainly concerning considering the competition's location. The best Polish competitor was Dawid Kubacki, who finished twenty-third. Piotr Żyła finished twenty-sixth. Aleksander Zniszczoł was thirty-three, and Kamil Stoch was thirty-first.
Austrian Niklas Bachlinger leads the Summer Grand Prix. Kubacki is fourth overall. Competition at the Olympic venues will run from Thursday to Sunday (September 21).
Read also: Volleyball magician to play in Poland. Will he knock the world champions out of the tournament? Read also: Polish woman's record-breaking throw at the world championships! Commentators screamed.
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