Joana Hählen, the Swiss speed ace, didn’t let herself get down despite serious injuries and the realization that she had been without anterior cruciate ligaments in both knees for years. The 32-year-old ski racer from Bern, who suffered a serious knee injury during a Ski World Cup race in Cortina d’Ampezzo, is on the verge of an impressive comeback. The diagnosis of a torn cruciate ligament, which she said she had suffered recently, turned out to be a misdiagnosis. Instead, it was discovered that her right cruciate ligament had been torn since December 2021 and the left cruciate ligament had been torn for six years. This realization not only brought Hählenbut also the ski world to marvel at.
Hählen has decided against surgery, a move that could have potentially ended her career. Instead, she relies on rehabilitation and physical strengthening to return to the World Cup. With impressive courage and determination, she is working on her comeback in Magglingen BE, with the hope of possibly being able to compete again in Kvitfjell at the beginning of March. But Hählen is cautious and emphasizes that she will only return when she feels completely ready and comfortable.
The history of Hählen is unique in skiing. Even the former ski ace Carlo Janka decided not to have an operation, but only one knee was affected. Hählen has been proving for years that it is possible to compete at the highest level even without cruciate ligaments and has already achieved a podium finish in the World Cup five times. Her determination, coupled with strong leg muscles and the ability to compete at a high level despite the injuries, makes her a remarkable example of perseverance and passion for the sport.
Source: Blick.ch and our own research
Official FIS Ski World Cup calendar for the men’s season 2023/24
Official FIS Ski World Cup calendar for the women’s season 2023/24