Mishap involving Austria's head ski coach. © APA / BARBARA GINDL

Now this too: Austria’s head coach in hospital

What is going on in Austria's ski team? The series of injuries continues, and now even the head coach has been affected.

23 January 2025

From: det

The races in Kitzbühel are an absolute highlight of the ski winter every year. Even more so for the local heroes from Austria. But just before this year's Hahnenkamm races, the proud skiing nation is plagued by injury concerns.

Vincent Kriechmayr, the Austrians' big figurehead, escaped with a black eye after his spectacular fall in Wengen - a strained medial ligament in his knee - but still has to take a break. Then on Wednesday, ski jewel Felix Hacker, who has already won four European Cup races this year, also suffered a bad injury. He tore his cruciate ligament during downhill training in Kitzbühel. And to make matters worse, head coach Marko Pfeifer is now out of action too.

Acute surgery in the hospital

Plagued by severe pain, Pfeifer went to the hospital in St. Johann. There he was diagnosed with gallstones! Pfeifer had to undergo surgery immediately and will now be out for a few days. In addition to the Kitzbühel races, the head coach will also miss the technical races in Schladming next week, as the Kleine Zeitung reported. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work.