The injury nightmare of Petra Vlhova continues. The alpine ski racer has not been on skis for over a year. Now she shares a grim prognosis with her fans.
Alpine ski racer Petra Vlhova has not ruled out having to end her career due to ongoing injury problems.
“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to ski again,” the 29-year-old said in an interview with Radio Slovensko. “It’s very difficult to give a prognosis.”
Petra Vlhova fears for her sporting future
After tearing her cruciate ligament in January 2024, the Slovakian Olympic champion faces the most difficult phase of her career – and an uncertain sporting future.
“Knee even made everyday life difficult”
The technical specialist, who crashed heavily in Jasna, initially made progress in rehab.
But an operation in March brought a setback. “Living with this knee even made everyday life difficult. In the end, the operation was the only option,” she explained at the time on Instagram.
“I had no life anymore. I couldn’t do anything anymore, not run, not cycle, not ski,” she now described in the radio interview.
Even light loads caused pain, and she also reached her limits psychologically: “Outwardly I seemed cheerful, but inwardly I was shattered into a thousand pieces.”
Doctors offer no hope for a comeback
A return to the Alpine World Cup is more than questionable. “No doctor can guarantee me that everything will be fine again,” said Vlhova.
She now wants to proceed step by step and not rush anything. Even if the rehab goes well, it remains to be seen whether she will ever be able to stand in the starting gate again.
And yet, the overall World Cup winner from 2021 also looks back on the difficult time with a new perspective: “This experience has shown me how important it is to put yourself first.”
A thought that gives her strength. “I believe all this will only make me stronger.”