Another ACL tear for Severin Freund

Shocking news for Severin Freund: The German top ski jumper once again suffered an ACL tear and will be out for the upcoming Olympic season.

About six months after he tore the ACL in his right knee for the first time, the 29-year-old Bavarian once again sustained the serious knee injury during a training jump in Oberstdorf.

"I felt a pain in my right knee at the landing. After that, the knee felt unstable and I had it checked by Dr. Florian Porzig. He diagnosed a rupture of the ACL  with an MRI. I felt really good until then and the rehabilitation went according to plan, so this setback is even more annoying", the 2015 World Champion is quoted in a release of the German Ski Association (DSV).

Severin Freund already underwent surgery on Friday in Munich. "The surgery was successful. The ACL was replaced, the damage of the medial and lateral meniscus was repaired. Severin Freund will probably have to remain in the hospital for a couple of days before he can start the rehabilitation", explained Dr. Peter Brucker, who performed the surgery.

For head coach Werner Schuster this second serious injury in a row of his team leader is a major blow in the preparation for the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang next winter. "This injury is extremely bad news for Severin himself and the entire team. It will be a big challenge for all of us to compensate his absence in the Olympic winter. But first of all, we wish Severin a speedy recovery."

Next goal: WSC 2019

Severin Freund is now already looking ahead to the next big tasks, like the Nordic World Championships in 2019. "It will be impossible for me to achieve my Olympic goals, but now I'm focusing on the World Championships in Seefeld. I've already been through a lot during my career and so I know how to handle it."