Perathoner checks off the Olympics – and only thinks about one thing

Snowboard crosser Emanuel Perathoner (35) from Laion has been out of action for a year. On January 14, 2021, he suffered a complicated tibial plateau fracture in a training fall in Colere (Bergamo province). The left knee was also badly affected. Operations followed (plates and screws were inserted) and months of arduous rehabilitation training.

The wedding with his Spanish fiancée Belen, which was postponed from 2020 to 2021 due to Corona, has been postponed again (to this summer). “We don’t want to get married with a face mask on. And I don't want to have to celebrate this day on crutches either. The new date is August 6, 2022,” Perathoner reveals the private secret. Long period of suffering Sad but true: He spent the last few months more with the physiotherapist Igor Setuain than with his future wife. “As if that wasn’t enough, I also fell ill with Covid-19 around Christmas. “But I only had a slightly high temperature, otherwise I felt fine,” explains Laioner, who was always in a good mood despite all the setbacks. “What else do I have to do? I have to accept this situation. Other people have it much worse than me. “I’m looking forward,” says the sportsman.

At the turn of the year, the veteran had to definitely acknowledge that the Winter Olympics in Beijing (from February 4th) would no longer be possible. “I'm in too much pain and can't train on snow. I just don't have the strength in my thigh and my left knee is not stable. But I can live with that too,” says the boardercrosser. “It would never have been so easy to qualify for the Olympics.” Emanuel Perathoner The Laioner would have been a permanent starter in Beijing, because even though Perathoner hasn't competed in any World Cup races for more than a year, he is still the third best Azzurro in the world rankings. Four Italians are going to the Winter Games in China. “It would never have been so easy to qualify for the Olympic Games,” he regrets a little.

The Olympic route in Beijing would be perathoners. “But I think Omar Visintin can also do well. I'm sure he'll recover well from his injury and put himself into the spotlight," Perathoner believes in his Algunder teammate. He is constantly in contact with the snowboarders. “I also watch the races,” he confirms.

Emanuel Perathoner has had a long period of suffering behind him. © Emanuel Perathoner

What else does he do in the course of a day? “Physiotherapy and strength training make you very tired. In my free time, I watch a film or go for a walk with the dog,” reports the Laion native. Belen supports him; she “would prefer if I ended my sporting career,” admits Perathoner.

But the competitive heart still beats in the soon-to-be 36-year-old (his birthday is on May 12th). Perathoner himself knows that complete recovery is a priority. “But I don’t want to get an artificial knee joint yet. It only lasts 20 years, so I'm going to try to get back to full health. In the spring I will seek advice from the FISI doctors. Maybe we still need an intervention,” believes the South Tyrolean. Longing for South Tyrol From a sporting perspective, 2020 and 2021 were forgettable - first because of Corona, then because of the serious injury. But Perathoner is looking to the future: “I will work hard to get fit and I'm looking forward to the wedding on August 6th. Everything is already organized. All I need is the right suit.”

What he also misses is South Tyrol and wellness in this country. “I always went on a wellness vacation. There is no such thing in Spain and I actually miss it very much. I’ll do that again in the spring when I travel to South Tyrol for a while.”

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Perathoner checks off the Olympics – and only thinks about one thing

Boardercrosser Emanuel Perathoner from Laion has definitely written off the Olympics and just wants to get completely healthy.

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