For Olympic champion and world champion Christopher Grotheer, the skeleton year ended prematurely due to an injury. At the last stop before the Christmas break in Sigulda, Latvia, Skeletoni, who had dominated to date with four wins from four races, had to leave before the competition due to an adductor injury and thus also gave up his lead in the overall World Cup standings. A small torn muscle fiber was diagnosed during examinations in Germany on Friday.
“A big thank you to the medical department, who tried everything to enable me to start,” wrote Grotheer (Oberhof) on Instagram: “In the end, we decided together against starting in order to save the rest of the season and the other season goals Keep your fingers crossed for me and don’t worry, we’re looking forward.”
Grotheer is quoted as saying in a statement from the Bobsleigh and Sled Association for Germany (BSD) that his adductor muscle was damaged on Tuesday during sprint training. By not starting in Sigulda, Grotheer is now in danger of falling far behind his two closest pursuers, the two Brits Matt Weston and Marcus Wyatt.
The next race is on January 3rd in Winterberg. Grotheer wants to be fit again by then. “That’s my goal for the next few weeks,” said the 32-year-old.