Gregor Schlierenzauer returns to the World Cup

After his break due to injury, Gregor Schlierenzauer will compete in the World Cup for the first time this season on the upcoming weekend in Titisee-Neustadt (GER).

The Austrian suffered a knee injury during a training camp in Ramsau am Dachstein late October and therefore missed the first three stops of this winter's World Cup.

Now he feels ready for a comeback: "I feel very well, the knee doesn't cause problems anymore. Of course, I'm still behind in training, but it gets better day by day. Now the anticipation for the World Cup is extremely high and I'm eager to see what will await me there", said Gregor Schlierenzauer, who made his first jumps after the injury in Lillehammer recently.

The 27-year-old closely followed the events this winter so far: "I saw almost every jump, it's interesting to follow everything from a different perspective. It makes you even more motivated to return. I'm looking forward to it and I'm excited to see where I stand. Everything is so close right now. The most important thing is to jump well, that's my goal. For everything else, you also need a bit of luck."

Head coach Heinz Kuttin warns of too high expectations before the two competitions in the Black Forest: "I'm happy for Gregor, that he is doing fine again and can make his comeback. It's also important for the team to have him there again. But it won't be possible to immediately be among the best again. You have to remember that he's just coming back from an injury. The field is so tight right now, that even totally fit jumpers have no chance to achieve a top result if they make just a small mistake. For Gregor, it will be important to stay calm and focus on his strengths when he starts competing again."

Gregor Schlierenzauer will replace Markus Schiffner on the Austrian World Cup team. Like on the previous weekends, Stefan Kraft, Michael Hayboeck, Manuel Fettner, Daniel Huber, Clemens Aigner and Manuel Poppinger will also participate in Titisee-Neustadt.