Austrian ski jumper Eva Pinkelnig has been seriously injured in her knee on the Olympic hill in Predazzo and will miss the upcoming season. The 37-year-old is now heavily criticizing the International Ski Federation (FIS).
About a month after her fall on the Olympic hill in Italian Predazzo, Eva Pinkelnig has made serious accusations against the International Ski Federation (FIS). In the ORF program Sport am Sonntag, the overall World Cup winner of the 2022/23 season said she felt that she had been “used as a guinea pig.”
Pinkelnig suffered a cruciate ligament tear in September during the Summer Grand Prix in Predazzo. The Austrian criticized that athletes were sent under time pressure to a hill known to be problematic without being adequately informed. “To send us down under time pressure like that” was completely the wrong decision.
“We now know that the profile of the hill is difficult. The FIS race director himself spoke of a design flaw. Why aren’t we informed?” said Pinkelnig. “There’s always talk about us athletes being the focus.” Like Pinkelnig, Canadian Alexandria Loutitt and Japanese Nordic combined athlete Haruka Kasai also suffered serious falls on the same weekend and sustained cruciate ligament tears. The latter on the large hill.
“Does it take three seriously injured athletes or two on this hill and only one on the next hill to realize that something is wrong?” asked Peeing. FIS ski jumping race director Sandro Pertile considered the criticism too harsh but showed understanding for the injured athletes: “I understand the athlete’s reaction,” said Pertile, emphasizing that solutions are being sought.
For Pinkelnig herself, however, adjustments will come too late. She will definitely miss the 2026 Olympics and likely will not compete in the 2030 Winter Games. But the Austrian has already come to terms with the situation: “It just wasn’t meant to be. But that’s completely okay. I’ve achieved so much else. And I believe I will still achieve a lot more.”