Three days ago, Stefan Rogentin crashed badly during training for the Lauberhorn downhill. In Friday's Super-G, he bites his teeth despite the pain and makes a sensational podium finish.
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- Franjo von Allmen wins the super-G in Wengen. With Stefan Rogentin, a second Swiss skier finishes on the podium.
- It was not certain that Rogentin would even be at the start. The Grisons native crashed heavily during the first training run three days ago.
- Rogentin not only had to ski with pain, he also had a lot to deal with mentally: "The first night, when I closed my eyes, I only saw the net in front of me."
The big winner of the super-G in Wengen is Franjo von Allmen. The man from Bern takes his first World Cup victory in his home race of all places. However, Stefan Rogentin is the second Swiss skier on the podium and he too is making a very special story.
The fact that the man from Graubünden was at the start of this super-G at all was nothing short of a miracle. It happened during the first training run: Rogentin crashed heavily, crashing into the safety nets at 100 km/h. "It could have been much worse. I was certainly a bit lucky," says Rogentin today after the race.
He didn't even dare to dream that he would finish the super-G on the podium: "My big goal was to even be at the start after this crash," says the 30-year-old. After all, there were still one or two places that hurt: "When I put my helmet on, I get a pretty bad headache. But when you set off, with all the adrenaline, it's gone by the time you reach the Hundschopf."
20 minutes at the scene of the accident
Rogentin emphasizes that although the physical pain goes away with the adrenaline and the racing mindset, the mental side is something completely different: "When I closed my eyes the first night after the accident, I saw the net in front of me." You have to process that first, which is why he contacted the mental coach.
Early the next morning, he realized that he wouldn't be able to drive, but explains: "I still wanted to get out on the track to process the whole thing. I went to where it happened and just stood there for 20 minutes and let it all sink in."
Bruises and strains
Despite his injuries, sleeping wasn't a problem from a physical point of view: "One side was spared, so I was able to lie on that side. The bruises are mainly on the shin, in the ski boot. There are more strains on my back." There's also the head, but lying down was still pretty good. The fall was abrupt, but he didn't take any big hits.
Accordingly, Rogentin is happy that he was not only able to start today, but even finished third: "I'm over the moon that it worked out like this today. You can't ask for more, this is my second podium here."
Is there enough energy for another exploit in Saturday's downhill? "I was already blue at the Hanegg shot today and thought that took a lot out of me," explains Rogentin and also reveals what's next: "Now it's time to recover well, ride out and see if I can get this acid out. And then I hope it works out well again tomorrow."
