Germany’s Staubitzer suffers season-ending knee injury

For German World Cup skier Benedikt Staubitzer, his ski season has ended before it even began. The giant slalom specialist from Mittenwald, Germany, suffered a torn ligament in his left knee after a training crash. According to sources, the operation took place in the Isar Clinic in Munich and went well with the 26-year-old able to leave the hospital in a few days.

“I’ll make it short, the ligament in the left knee is off and the season is already finished (again) before it started,” he said on his Facebook page. “The surgery has already gone well, and in the next few days I can go home.”

Unfortunately, this latest setback means the German can no longer achieve his primary goal of participating in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.

After a promising start to last season in Soelden, Austria, where he finished the season opening giant slalom in 12th place, a herniated disc forced season-ending back surgery. Now, Staubitzer looks forward to a speedy recovery and return to snow in time for the 2019 World Ski Championships in Are, Sweden.