Why ÖSV star Puchner could be cut through the fibula

Who can Mirjam Puchner blame this exuberant jubilation?

A medal at a World Cup in Austria, just a car hour from her home town of St. Johann im Pongau, in front of the eyes of family and friends-that is the fabric from which the skiers are. “Kitschig, there is nothing better“, Said the 32-year-old.

Big Murks

Especially since it was not even certain for a long time whether Puchner would actively experience the season highlight at all. This season was a single murks until the World Cup, the Salzburg woman drove behind in the speed race Or did not come to the finish at all.

Mirjam Puchner was close to despair, The tears not only flowed with her once. “Because I didn’t know what to do. The last few weeks before the World Cup hit me a lot, ”the police athlete admits honestly. After her weak performance, Puchner had no fixed starting place for the World Cup descent and had to go to the internal qualification.

Great joy

From that time, however, when she put the first ski boot on the Ulli-Maier descent slope, the serious uncertainty was then evaporated in one fell swoop.

And with every training trip, the big self -doubt gave way more and more Unlettable self -confidencewhich Mirjam Puchner also demonstrated on her trip to silver. “I felt so comfortable here from day one. I have never been looking forward to a race before. ”

The local hero could not slow down the role as a medal hopeful and co -favorite into which Puchner was pressed after the strong training runs. “I’ve been asked about it in the past few days, but I only said to myself: Drive loosely, you can down there.’“

The unexpected silver medal in the World Cup departure in Saalbach-Hinterglemm outshines second place at the 2022 Olympics in the Super-G. In Beijing, ghost games were carried out at the time because of the covid pandemic, in the Glemmtal Puchner was cheered on Saturday by 15,800 fans. “You can’t compare the two medals“, Sagt Puchner.

In late autumn her career, the Pongauer will be for her Perseverance And theirs Ability to suffer rewarded. Like many of her teammates, Mirjam Puchner also had to have painful experiences. A complicated shining and fabric broken (2017) would have ended the speed specialist’s career almost prematurely.

Large incision

Because Puchner was plagued by severe pain months after the operation, she let herself Voluntarily break the lower leg bone. “You cut your fibula and then fixed it again with a plate and screws,” says the 32-year-old.

Without this unusual intervention, Puchner would probably only have experienced the home World Cup as a viewer. “The whole effort was worth it, it paid off that I stayed up,” says the World Cup second. “It was a long valley that I had to go through. Many had already written off me.“

Great role model

As that, Mirjam Puchner should have come to mind when she was called to the victory podium in the target stadium on Saturday. A special congratulator was chosen for the Salzburg native. When Ski legend Annemarie Moser hugged the compatriot, the prudent Mirjam Puchner flowed tears.

“She is such a role model, it was just nice when such an athlete gives you the price.”