Bad luck for Austrian veteran Bernhard Gruber at the beginning of the Olympic season. The Falun 2015 World Champion will be sidelined until the beginning of January due to an acute appendicitis, which he suffered during the last training camp in Rovaniemi.

“I began to notice pains in my stomach during the ski jumping training and the pain got worse and worse during the following cross-country session. After a first examination in the hospital of Rovaniemi, I spent the night there under supervision. I flew back to Austria for further examinations the next day and an appendicitis was diagnosed in the hospital in Schwarzach. I underwent surgery on the same night”, Gruber tells.

“It is definitely bitter but health comes first. I don’t want to rush things now and get fully healthy again before starting to train again. If everything goes according to plan, I can resume training at the beginning of January and start a catch-up chase. Until then, I have to cross my fingers for my teammates in front of the TV.”

Head coach Christoph Eugen was torn between the positives and negatives: “We are all psyched and ready to go. The summer preparation went according to plan, even though we did not have a lot of direct comparison to all other nations. The loss of Berni for the beginning of the season is a hit for the team, however. I wish him a speedy recovery and that he can return and support the team with his usual strength soon.”

   Source: fis-ski.com