Austrian Superstar Marco Schwarz Returns to Skiing – Indoor in Norway

GEPA pictures

This week, Austrian superstar Marco Schwarz returned to skiing Tuesday at the Norwegian indoor ski hall SNØ, seven months after a December 2023 knee injury.

Happy to Ski Again

While at the SNØ ski hall, Schwarz told Austrian broadcaster ORF Sport that it was good to feel the snow under his feet for the first time after the injury and a long rehabilitation period.

“I have worked really hard for this for seven months, and I must say, it feels tremendous. Of course, I have a long way to go, but we will come back step by step,” Schwarz said.

Earlier this summer, Schwarz tested out his knee wakeboarding and playing ice hockey with his Austrian teammates.

Next, he will focus on freeskiing and technical skiing before returning to gate skiing in easy terrain and increasing the level gradually, Schwarz told ORF Sport at SNØ.

“The plan is to travel to Chile at the end of August,” the 28-year-old said. He hopes the Chile camp will allow him to participate in regular training after they return to Europe from South America.

“We will have to see when it is time to start racing again,” Schwarz continued, emphasizing the importance of making reasonable decisions and not rushing anything.

Four-discipline Competitor

Last season, Schwarz aimed to race every men’s World Cup competition. Notably, he held the overall lead in the men’s World Cup when he crashed and sustained season-ending injuries during the World Cup downhill at Bormio, Italy on December 28, 2023.

According to a Ski Austria press release and the Associated Press, Schwarz tore his ligaments and the inside meniscus in his right knee and bruised a bone.

Six days earlier, the allrounder won the prestigious men’s World Cup in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

Upon his return, Schwarz will focus on the technical disciplines. However, Austrian Laola1.at reported after a Ski Austria media event in early July that he will eventually return to the speed disciplines.

Weight Room and Snow

Schwarz is making his on-snow return at SNØ, Europe’s largest indoor ski hall. The facility has several slopes up to 500 meters long and an 80-meter vertical drop.

According to Krone.at Schwarz likes the setup at SNØ, where a weight room is available in the same building as the ski hall. He was scheduled to ski at SNØ for three days.

Also, the indoor ski hall’s temperature and snow conditions stay stable, keeping the conditions predictable for the first turns back on snow after injury.

Aamodt Kilde Skied at SNØ

Injured Norwegian racers often use SNØ as a first step back on snow. Located a short drive northeast of downtown Oslo, Norway’s capital, and half an hour south of the Oslo Airport, the location is easily accessible for many.

In June, Norway’s top speed racer Aleksander Aamot Kilde also made his first turns at SNØ, five months after a dramatic fall just above the finish area during the traditional Lauberhorn downhill in Wengen, Switzerland. Aamodt Kilde dislocated his shoulder and sustained a deep cut in his leg.

Unfortunately, Aamodt Kilde has recently experienced a medical setback regarding rehabilitating his injured shoulder.

Not patient

In an interview with Austrian Laola1.at in July, Schwarz described himself as impatient but also said the rehabilitation process requires a lot of patience — day after day, month after month.

Schwarz also suffered a torn cruciate ligament in 2019 and returned to skiing after only half a year. However, this time around, an additional cartilage injury is prolonging the process, according to Laola1.at.

Lego Therapy

Schwarz manages to stay patient by taking breaks from his training routine, according to the interview with Laola1.at:

Immediately after his injury, Schwarz’s teammates gave him a Batman machine Lego set. Building Legos has helped him distract himself from the rehabilitation training.

The 2021 World Champion in the Alpine Combined event also enjoyed a break when vacationing in Thailand this summer. At home, he finds peace and quiet in the forest:

“There, I am completely alone. I can switch off and I don’t always have to talk about the knee,” Schwarz told Laola1.at.

After returning to skiing this week, Schwarz can hopefully put the Legos away and spend more time on snow than in the forest.

Troublesome Season

Schwarz was not the only high-profile competitor to become seriously injured last winter. Injuries on the World Cup tour and race training arenas marred the 2023/24 ski season. Many men and women with the highest profiles among the competitors experienced accidents and injuries.

Towards the end of last season, FIS Race Director Markus Waldner discussed safety measures and other issues regarding the World Cup in an exclusive interview with Ski Racing Media.