Austrian skier had to swallow a bitter pill. © Instagram

Ski star at hospital bedside: "One day we will be friends"

A horrific fall in Zauchensee brought the meteoric rise of an Austrian downhill skier to an abrupt end. Now the young skier has spoken out from her hospital bed with emotional words.

13 January 2026

From: det

In Austria, she had long been considered a great future prospect; after all, Magdalena Egger had won an impressive six gold medals at Junior World Championships. This year, things finally clicked for the Vorarlberg native in the World Cup: A month ago, the 24-year-old finished second in the downhill in St. Moritz, reaching the podium for the first time in her career. But shortly afterward came the devastating news.

Egger, who has been plagued by injuries throughout her career, crashed in the downhill race in Zauchensee last weekend. The Austrian skier was already fighting back tears on the slope, knowing something serious had happened. The diagnosis was a torn cruciate ligament and the end of her season.

Magdalena Egger suffered a serious fall and had to be airlifted to hospital. © APA / EXPA/ JOHANN GRODER

After this shock, Egger checked in from the hospital a few days later. Her right knee, which has since been operated on, is supported with a brace, and her room is overflowing with get-well gifts, including a pink teddy bear. Perhaps that's why Egger can smile again – and showed her sense of humor in her Instagram post: "2-0 for Zauchensee – but one day we'll be friends too."

Check out this post on Instagram

A post shared by Magdalena Egger (@magdalena.egger)

The young downhill skier was referring to a crash she suffered three years ago on the same course. At that time, she sustained a severe concussion and a torn medial collateral ligament in her knee. After the serious knee injury, Egger is determined to fight her way back. "I won't stop believing," she added at the end.