Mario Seidl returns to hill after back-to-back injuries

Mario Seidl is back on the jumping hill. After the athlete from Pongau had already completed a few jumps on smaller hills, he dared to go to his home large hill in Bischofshofen today, Thursday. After four jumps, joy was written on the face of the team bronze medalist from Seefeld 2019.

“The first jumps felt really cool right away, I had saved everything well in terms of the technical process. After the jumps on smaller hills, the first large hill jumps on my home hill in Bischofshofen were an intermediate goal. Of course I was a bit nervous at the beginning, as the confidence to jump far is obviously still missing. I have to feel my way, the injury was more than a year ago. However, I deliberately gave myself a lot of time until I started jumping training. Now I have ideally prepared my muscles and have eliminated the asymmetries, that was the result of the final test”, Seidl said.

When the first training group of the ÖSV Nordic Combined team will board the plane to Rovaniemi on Saturday to get the final touches on the snow, Seidl will already be a part of the group.

“I look forward to training in a team almost like a small child. Training together is more effective, you can push each other. And fun is not neglected either, that is just as important. I really missed the fun conversations and the exchange with my teammates,” says amateur pilot Seidl, looking forward to joint training sessions with the team.

If the rest of the training goes according to plan until the World Cup kick-off in Ruka (FIN) at the end of November, Seidl will be in the eight-person ÖSV squad there. When asked about his goals for the coming season, he is still cautious. “Making the comeback and establishing myself within the team is the primary goal. Then I have to keep looking how the body absorbs the racing action, I missed the whole of last season. If everything works out, then I want to be at the World Cup. The medals are of course a great incentive and I see the injury as an opportunity to come back even stronger. "

Head coach Christoph Eugen took part in Seidl's first large hill jumps. “I was very satisfied with the first jumps on Mario's large hill. I think he felt very comfortable again. Now we will do more quiet units on the large hill, then I am optimistic that he will strengthen us in Ruka at the World Cup opener ", said Eugen.