Daniel Huber misses the start in Lillehammer.

Austrian Olympic champion misses World Cup opener

Bad news for Austria: Team Olympic champion Daniel Huber will not take part in the World Cup opener in Lillehammer due to injury.

22 November 2024

From: sn

Bitter news for Austrian ski jumper Daniel Huber: The 2022 Olympic champion announced on Instagram that he will have to miss the World Cup opener in Lillehammer due to injury. The 31-year-old complained of severe pain in his right knee after training and returned home on Thursday to have the injury checked out. An MRI scan in Austria should now show how the Salzburg native is doing.

Huber was disappointed and said on Instagram: "Of course it hurts especially not to be able to be there at the start." The timing could hardly have been worse with the start of the World Cup this weekend, especially after Huber won the small crystal globe for the best pilot in Vikersund last winter and prepared intensively over the summer. "I wanted to be in top form at the start, and that is not possible now," he explained to the Kronen Zeitung.

Maximilian Ortner moves up

Maximilian Ortner will replace Huber in the team. The 24-year-old will represent Austria in the mixed competition on Friday and the individual competitions on Saturday and Sunday. In his video message, Huber wished his team every success and thanked his team.

Huber's absence is a bitter setback for the Austrian team, which started the season with great ambitions. Coach Andreas Widhölzl has to make last-minute changes to his plans, while Huber is hoping for a quick comeback.

The first competitions of the new season in Lillehammer begin on Friday with the mixed competition. The ski jumping world is eagerly awaiting the start, even though a prominent name will be missing.