Viktoria Rebensburg (Kreuth) has to throw her plans in preparation for the Olympic Games upside down again because of a persistent virus flu.
Following urgent advice from the DSV doctors, the German medal hopefuls will also completely miss out on the three World Cup races starting next Friday in Cortina d’ Ampezzo, Italy:”This is of course an unfavourable phase of the season,” said Rebensburg, but stressed the importance of “completely curing the virus flu.
Due to the high risk involved, Johannes Scherr, team physician of the DSV-team, does not consider a deployment of Rebensburg at the weekend to be an option:”In view of the expected high racing loads, a medical clearance for the competition operation is not to be justified. I have therefore prescribed Viktoria further days of rest before – assuming a favourable course of healing – she can get back into an advanced training session on the weekend,”he said.
Rebensburg, who has been suffering from viral influenza for one and a half weeks, had wanted to take part in at least one of the three competitions in Cortina d’ Ampezzo (two downhills, one super-G) last weekend in the Austrian town of Bad Kleinkirchheim, after abandoning the two World Cup races.”I feel much, much better,”she said on Monday at the outfitting of the Olympic team in Munich.
It is unclear whether Rebensburg will participate in the giant slalom on the following Tuesday at the Kronplatz in South Tyrol. The races in Lenzerheide/Switzerland (26. till 28. January/combination, giant slalom, slalom), Stockholm (30. January/parallel slalom) as well as in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (3. and 4. January/Sprint departure, departure) on the program.