Total loss in knee and many sponsors

The good news: Nicole Schmidhofer believes in her return to the World Cup. The bad: the outlook is not optimistic. Irritating: Sponsors seize the opportunity.

Basically, the situation offers little or no cause for celebration. Nicole Schmidhofer reported on Monday in a good mood from a bed in the Graz Accident Hospital, but this was accompanied by devastating news from the medical team: the Austrian suffered a left knee dislocation after her terrible fall in Val d’Isère last week. last, all ligaments are torn.

The season is over, like the knee, and it would probably border on a medium sports miracle if Schmidhofer could compete for World Cup victories again someday. Hope remains and Schmidhofer’s will seems limitless. “I’m fine because I have a plan,” says the 31-year-old. That is extraordinary and rewarding.

Attention regardless of loss

Of course, the Schmidhofer partners also want to benefit from this attitude, which is why it is important to squeeze the lemon one last time: the Styrian woman is a bit unnatural, with many scratches on her face, wearing a woolen cap decorated with a logo , a drinking bottle and a sponsor. T-shirt in the desired light of the usually dingy hospital room.

Behind her, it is hard to believe, there is, absolutely by coincidence, a pair of skis from her supplier. But that’s not all: An indescribable wall of sponsors completes the irritating big picture, so that the press photos also show who Schmidhofer is supposed to support besides physical therapists and doctors in the weeks and months to come. For a brief moment you ask yourself the following questions: Where are the ski poles? The shoes? Why don’t doctors have sponsors? And why the hell isn’t Schmidhofer wearing the official racing suit?

You are already used to a lot. Last but not least, as early as the 1990s we were surprised in this country by the advertising space on the buttocks of Austrian footballers (# Po advertising) and on their necks. Or about the seemingly ridiculous holding drinking bottles during a television interview in the ski landing area. What is added in the case of Schmidhofer, however, is the evident intention of the sponsors to attract attention even in those moments when the only thing that really matters is to inform about the well-being of the athlete.