Alexander Prast is fighting for his career: “No Plan B”

Hundredths of a second are everything in skiing, something like the essence of the sport. They decide on a victory that can shape an entire life. You can ensure that a career remains uncrowned. And sometimes it happens that within hundredths of a second a young career takes a massive turn. The latter applies to Alexander Prast.

On December 12th last year, a snowy Saturday, the man from Bolzano - one of Italy's most up-and-coming downhill skiers - was doing his super-G ride at full speed in Val d'Isére, France, when his right foot was not optimal after a left jump landed, buckled violently and suffered total knee damage. Milliseconds that changed everything. After the operation came the shock Instead of causing a sensation in his first season with a fixed World Cup starting place, Prast ended up in Innsbruck on the operating table of the famous doctor Christian Fink, who has also patched up the knee ligaments of soccer stars like Leroy Sané and Giorgio Chiellini. However, the young South Tyrolean experienced serious complications: After the six-and-a-half-hour procedure, so-called compartment syndrome occurred in the thigh - a medical emergency that leads to a lack of blood supply to muscles and nerves. In the meantime, Prast had to go to the intensive care unit, undergo several operations and stay in the hospital for a total of a month. “As long as there is a chance to come back, I will do everything for it.” Alexander Prast An almost unbelievable period of suffering, but slowly there is light at the end of the tunnel. Two weeks ago, Prast underwent his eighth operation in nine months, when metal parts were removed from the head of his tibia - which had also been damaged in the fall. “According to the plan, this was the last operation,” says the 25-year-old happily.

In general, the downhill skier from Bolzano, who has been living in Terlan for several years, is optimistic about his knee. “I have made great progress in the last few weeks. The knee is much more resilient, I can do more rigorous sessions and even went hiking,” he explains. For comparison: In June, a 40-minute walk pushed him to his limits.

Alexander Prast during his fateful fall in December 2020.

That's why Prast is now more hopeful about his return to skis. “As long as there is an opportunity to come back, I will do everything for it. In rehab you need a goal. If you have a plan A, you have to follow it and not think about plan B. “Plan B is a waste of time,” says the ski ace combatively. It is still unclear when exactly he will be able to ski again. “We haven’t defined a time yet. I have to see how the knee reacts to higher loads. But we’ll manage it.” Between Eppan, Spain and Switzerland The question remains whether this fall and the subsequent complications didn't also leave their mark mentally. “I never had a problem watching the fall. It's the same in our sport: the risk of injury is high, but you're willing to take the risk in order to achieve performance and results. Of course, you don't think about ending up in the intensive care unit. Of course it could have been better, but it could also have been much worse. That’s why I accepted the fight immediately.”

Prast during his last operation: The screws have to come out.

Alexander Prast is currently fighting this fight mainly in the FC Südtirol rehabilitation center in Eppan, where he is looked after by Paolo Cadamuro and Luis Kuppelwieser. Most recently he was in Switzerland for two weeks, where he sweated alongside skiing greats like Mauro Caviezel and Michelle Gisin in the “Altius Swiss Sportmed Center” in Rheinfelden. “It was cool to see something different,” said Prast, who sweetened his rigorous rehab summer with a two-week trip to Spain and Portugal. Because that's what you need: switching off, recharging your batteries so that you can then fully attack again. Hopefully we'll be back on skis soon.

Alexander Prast's suffering December 12, 2020: Fall at the World Cup Super-G in Val d'Isere with number 39. Diagnosis: tear of the anterior and posterior cruciate ligament in the right knee, torn outer ligaments and meniscus damage December 16, 2020: Surgery on the injured knee at the Hochrum/Innsbruck Clinic December 17, 2020: A so-called compartment syndrome occurs, Prast has to be transferred to the intensive care unit and undergoes another 7 operations by January 5th February 27, 2021: Further surgery, including on the meniscus in the right knee March 15, 2021: Alexander Prast can put away the crutches and begin “real” rehabilitation with up to 7 hours a day June 10, 2021: First fitness training camp with teammates in Formia August 13, 2021: First mountain hike on the Boèseekofel in Corvara with ski colleague Hannes Zingerle September 21, 2021: In another operation in Hochrum/Innsbruck, 5 screws and a plate are removed from the injured knee joint In October 2021, we will work on fitness 5 times a week for 6 to 7 hours a day. The current focus after the operation is on getting the muscles back into shape

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Alexander Prast is fighting for his career: “No Plan B”

Alexander Prast was the unlucky South Tyrolean of the last ski season. Two weeks ago he had to undergo his eighth (!) operation in nine months. He spoke to s+ about this difficult time.

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