Laurent Muhlethaler sidelined with broken arm

This Wednesday afternoon, French Nordic Combined athlete Laurent Muhlethaler broke his radius on the ice of the Courchevel ice rink during a training course. If he does not have surgery, his left arm has to be immobilised for two months.

Muhlethaler slipped on ice skates during a training session: “We did exercises like jumps but also speed with sprints. Unfortunately, I lost my balance a bit and couldn't stop. So I crashed into the hockey cage”, he is quoted in Nordic Magazine.

The results of this stunt are quite problematic for Muhlethaler, as the radius of his left arm is fractured with a slight displacement. "I spoke with the surgeon [at Moûtiers hospital, editor's note] and there is no need to operate. However, it's a pretty fragile place and it's going to take a long time to repair since it requires two months of downtime”, he says.

This injury is a real blow for Muhlethaler as he will not be able to practice ski jumping for two months. "For the jump I'm going to have some problems for sure because my elbow is in the cast and it shouldn't move," he reveals. “I’m going to be able to do some roller skiing with one pole while being very careful because I really don't want to put pressure on my left hand and arm." Moreover, he will be able to catch up, after two or three days of rest, with endurance training on a bicycle in a home trainer.

This stop, however, jeopardises the start of the World Cup season for Muhlethaler. "I will not be attacking at the start of the season but I will do things seriously by continuing to train in the background. I try to take this injury with perspective because others hurt themselves so much more than I did. For a lifetime, it’s not much, it’s just annoying for the season, ”he finally philosophises.