On 15 March 2024, Jonas Lenherr was competing in qualifying for the World Cup race in Veysonnaz. The skier from Graub\u00fcnden lost his balance during a jump in what initially seemed an unremarkable fall. His season was over.<\/p>\n
But the worst was yet to come. After a quick return to skiing, Jonas Lenherr developed an infection in his foot and needed emergency surgery, with amputation a possibility. Eighteen months after his fall, he returned to competition and is now preparing to ski again on the course that left such a mark on him.<\/p>\n
Hello Jonas Lenherr! On your return to competition in Val Thorens, you finished 44th and then 19th. Are you happy with these results? How did you feel during the races?<\/strong><\/p>\n Overall, the preparation went very well. I was able to give my best in training and felt positive. But the racing proved more difficult than expected. I had stomach pain, which held me back and stopped me from skiing freely, so I am only partly satisfied with the results. In terms of performance, I know I can do better.<\/p>\n After your injury, you initially thought it was a sprain, but the diagnosis turned out to be much more serious. How did you cope with that period of uncertainty?<\/strong><\/p>\n That was a very difficult period for me. At first, you assume it is something minor and expect to return quickly. When it became clear that the injury was much more serious, it was extremely tough mentally. Not knowing how long it would last or how it would develop made that period particularly difficult.<\/p>\n This was not the first serious injury of your career. Did you draw on past experiences to help you manage your recovery?<\/strong><\/p>\n Yes, absolutely. Above all, my previous injuries taught me to be more patient with myself and give recovery the importance it deserves. In the past, I often wanted to come back too quickly. This time, I knew it was important to give my body the time it needed to make a lasting return.<\/p>\n You were away from the World Cup for 18 months. When were you able to get back on skis, and what was it like watching the 2024\/2025 season from the sidelines?<\/strong><\/p>\n In spring 2025, I was able to get back on skis for the first time. It was a very emotional moment. Watching the 2024\/2025 season from the outside gave me mixed feelings. On the one hand, I was very happy that the Swiss skiers were so successful, but on the other, it was extremely difficult not to be competing alongside them.<\/p>\n How did your relationships with Swiss-Ski and the other Swiss skiers develop during your absence?<\/strong><\/p>\n Communication with Swiss-Ski and the other athletes was always very good. I always felt supported and included, which helped me enormously during that time. Feeling that I was still part of the team was very important to me.<\/p>\n How do you feel about returning to Veysonnaz, to the course where you were injured? Are you approaching this race with a different mindset?<\/strong><\/p>\n No, not really. Injuries can happen anywhere; unfortunately, that is part of our sport. I do not associate anything particular with this course, and I approach this race with the same mindset as any other.<\/p>\n Ski cross is a sport in which crashes can be spectacular. How do you handle that pressure in the start area?<\/strong><\/p>\n In the start area, you have to put those thoughts aside. If you worry too much about crashes or potential risks, you cannot really race. You have to focus entirely on the race and your own goals, and shut everything else out.<\/p>\n You missed the 2022 Olympics because your season was cut short by a knee injury. Are the Milano Cortina Games your main goal this season?<\/strong><\/p>\n The Olympics are certainly one of my goals, but not the only one. They are an important goal that stays in the back of my mind, but for now, my priority is to return gradually to regular competition.<\/p>\n Alex Fiva made the podium in Innichen at the age of 39. Can you imagine still competing at that age? How do you see the rest of your career?<\/strong><\/p>\n For now, I am focusing on this season and taking one race at a time. I have a lot of respect for Alex Fiva and his performances. What he achieves at that age is impressive. I do not yet know how long my career will last, but the most important thing for me is to stay healthy and enjoy ski cross.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" On 15 March 2024, Jonas Lenherr was competing in qualifying for the World Cup race in Veysonnaz. The skier from Graub\u00fcnden lost his balance during a jump in what initially seemed an unremarkable fall. His season was over. But the worst was yet to come. After a quick return to skiing, Jonas Lenherr developed an […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-740","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fis-ski-cross-world-cup"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=740"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/740\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=740"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=740"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldcupveysonnaz.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=740"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}