German ski racer Andreas Sander has made a serious cell disease public. The 35-year-old is in danger of missing the entire World Cup season.
The 2021 World Championship downhill runner-up reported that he has been diagnosed with mitochondrial dysfunction. This means that his mitochondria, the components and energy suppliers of human cells, are not working properly.
Sander has already ruled out competing in the first downhill race of the winter in Beaver Creek (USA) in December. It is impossible to predict if and when he will be able to ski competitively again, Sander reported.
Sander has not been able to train in recent months and has been prescribed a complete break from sport since the beginning of this week. "I'm just going for a walk," he said at the German Ski Association's (DSV) official fitting in Nuremberg. "And when I'm walking, I have to sit down sometimes because my body is just so tired." He also has problems concentrating.
Sander explained that, according to the doctors, the dysfunction is probably a result of many infections in recent years.
SDA
