Ski-jumping: Fourth cruciate ligament rupture: Ski-jumper Gangnes drops out again for a long time

The Norwegian Kenneth Gangnes remains the unlucky one among ski jumpers. The third of the 2015/2016 World Cup season suffered the fourth cruciate ligament rupture of his career on Thursday after a fall in Oslo. The 28-year-old is due to be operated on shortly.

“I knew right away what had happened. My head is just empty,”said Gangnes, who did not rule out a career end:”Many people are probably wondering whether I’ve had enough. I will make that decision when the time comes.”

Norwegian head coach Alexander Stöckl spoke of an “incredibly sad” message. Gangnes had worked hard on his comeback in the winter and summer,”It looked very promising,”said the Austrian.

In December 2015, Gangnes celebrated the first World Cup victory of his career in Lillehammer and finished fourth in the Four Hills Tournament. In 2010 and 2013, Gangnes had already suffered a rupture of the cruciate ligament in his right knee, and now, as in 2016, the left knee is affected.

The German former world champion Severin Freund had suffered the second rupture of the cruciate ligament within a year and will miss the entire Olympic season.