Marco Kohler

Being a lead skier is an honor - but also a challenge. Only experienced athletes who have mastered the speed and technical demands of a World Cup course get the chance to take to the slopes ahead of the best skiers in the world. in 2020, Marco Kohler was allowed to race the legendary Lauberhorn downhill - one of the most challenging courses in the World Cup. However, the worst moment of his career came in the infamous finish S: a serious fall with dramatic consequences. The diagnosis was devastating - a completely torn cruciate ligament, a torn patellar tendon, a torn inner ligament and a torn outer meniscus. An injury that not only meant the end of the 2019/2020 season, but also cost him the entire 2020/2021 season.

This accident had a profound impact on Marco. The Lauberhorn downhill, one of the most prestigious and challenging courses in the World Cup, became a turning point in his career. Instead of thinking about starting races, he had to undergo months of painful rehabilitation - with an uncertain future. But giving up was never an option. Instead, he began the long road back to the slopes with a clear goal in mind: to come back stronger than ever before.

Marco Kohler

The second crash on the Lauberhorn - when fate strikes twice

There are places that remain forever linked to certain moments in life. For Marco Kohler, the Lauberhorn downhill is just such a place - a scene of big dreams, but also deep nightmares. in 2020, he crashed heavily as the lead skier in the final S, an injury that cost him an entire season. Three years later - in the 2023/24 season - fate struck again.

Again it was the legendary Lauberhorn course, again a scene that remains etched in our minds. But this time it happens in the middle of the race. One moment, one moment of carelessness, one unpredictable movement - and suddenly he is torn off the line. At high speed, Marco loses control and crashes heavily. An impact that brings the air to a standstill. Seconds become an eternity.

The diagnosis? Another serious injury. More months of uncertainty, more rehab, more fighting spirit. But one thing is clear: if you come back once, you can do it a second time.

DIAGNOSE

Surgery or not?

• Cruciate ligament rupture: In most cases, the anterior cruciate ligament is reconstructed, especially in people who are active in sports. A tendon (e.g. patellar tendon or hamstring tendon) is usually used as a new cruciate ligament.
• Inner and outer meniscus tears: Depending on the type of tear, either a meniscus suture (preserving) or a partial resection (removing the damaged part) is performed. In younger, active patients, attempts are often made to preserve the meniscus in order to avoid long-term knee problems such as osteoarthritis.

For a "normal" person, such an injury means at least 6-12 months of rehabilitation before intensive sporting activities are possible again. For professionals like Marco, who need to make a quick comeback, rehab is often more intensive, with daily training to speed up the return. But even then, the risk of re-injury remains high.

6 months after cruciate ligament surgery
First day of skiing in Saas Fee

Just six months after his serious knee injury, Marco Kohler was back on skis - a moment that was more than just a milestone in his rehabilitation. In Saas-Fee, surrounded by glaciers and endless expanses of snow, he made his first turns and felt what had carried him through all those months of tough physiotherapy: an irrepressible passion for skiing.

The return to the snow was a far cry from a normal training day - every turn was a test for his knee, for his confidence in his own body.

An invisible
challenge

Skiing requires not only strength, technique and courage, but also enormous physical resilience. For Marco Kohler, there was another challenge in addition to the injuries: the diagnosis of ankylosing spondylitis. This chronic inflammatory disease of the spine leads to pain, restricted movement and, in the worst case, stiffening of the joints.

For an athlete who performs at the highest level in a sport where mobility and physical resilience are essential, this is an additional burden - often invisible, but always present. How do you fight your way back in a sport that pushes your body to the limit when your own body is also working against you?

12 months later
Return to the race track

Exactly 12 months after his second serious crash on the Lauberhorn, Marco Kohler was back at the start of a race - a moment that marked more than just a comeback. It was proof that setbacks do not slow him down, but only make him stronger. After countless hours of rehab, mental work and unwavering perseverance, he fought his way back to where he belonged: on the race track. A new phase, a new chapter - but with the same determination that has characterized him from the very beginning.

Just one year after tearing his cruciate ligament, Marco Kohler competes in the auberhorn race again and conquers the downhill for the first time in his racing career.