Teresa Runggaldier is working on her comeback. © Pentaphoto

Runggaldier celebrates long-awaited ski comeback

In early December, Teresa Runggaldier's ski season came to an abrupt end. After a serious fall during a training camp in Copper Mountain (USA), she suffered total damage to her right leg. Seven months after the devastating accident, the Selva native sees light at the end of the tunnel.

July 23, 2025

From: leo

“If I could make my first turns on snow at the end of July, that would be a good thing,” said Teresa Runggaldier in a SportNews interview at the end of April. The Val Gardena native is even ahead of schedule, having already returned to the slopes last week, marking the next important step on her arduous journey.

In her serious training crash in the USA, she suffered a broken fibula, a torn cruciate and medial ligament, cartilage damage to the tibial head, and a meniscus injury. The cruciate ligament was reconstructed at the Hochrum Clinic using a tendon from the femur. While this method results in a longer healing time, it should give the new cruciate ligament greater stability, Runggaldier said in April.

No rush

During her first contact with snow in more than half a year, Runggaldier took it easy, especially since her knee hadn't yet reached the desired mobility. The load will now be gradually increased.

The South Tyrolean certainly has plenty of time to get into the shape she wants, as the first speed race of the season isn't scheduled until November 27th – and in Copper Mountain, of all places.