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Almost blind: the ski jumper at the Four Hills Tournament suffers from a rare eye disease - and still jumps

2022-01-04T11:02:07.059Z


Almost blind: the ski jumper at the Four Hills Tournament suffers from a rare eye disease - and still jumps Created: 01/04/2022, 11:46 AM From: Florian Schimak Philipp Aschenwald at the training jump in Innsbruck. © IMAGO / GEPA pictures Philipp Aschenwald came in the top 30 in the first two competitions of the Four Hills Tournament. The ÖSV eagle is currently jumping almost blind. Munich / I


Almost blind: the ski jumper at the Four Hills Tournament suffers from a rare eye disease - and still jumps

Created: 01/04/2022, 11:46 AM

From: Florian Schimak

Philipp Aschenwald at the training jump in Innsbruck.

© IMAGO / GEPA pictures

Philipp Aschenwald came in the top 30 in the first two competitions of the Four Hills Tournament. The ÖSV eagle is currently jumping almost blind.

Munich / Innsbruck - Ski jumpers are generally among the bravest athletes, one might say.

They race down a steep hill with a monkey tooth and then plunge into the depths.

Good for those who have all their senses with them.

With all the pace and adrenaline it is of course elementary that you have everything in view and see well.

Or is it not?

ÖSV-Adler Philipp Aschenwald is flying blind in this year's Four Hills Tournament!

The Tyrolean suffers from a rare eye disease, as reported by the Austrian

courier

.

Four Hills Tournament: Almost Blind!

Philipp Aschenwald suffers from a rare eye disease

Aschenwald is almost blind in the left eye, so his eyesight is hardly available.

During a routine check-up, the 26-year-old was diagnosed with keratoconus, a rare eye disease that causes the cornea to curve.

Without timely treatment, this threatens to become thinner and thinner and to dry out.

“I see like a mole in my left eye,” says Aschenwald, who underwent an operation in October last year.

Actually, he should now jump with hard lenses.

Problem: They didn't arrive in time for the Four Hills Tournament!

“The lenses have to be individually adjusted,” reveals Aschenwald: “I ordered them, but they won't arrive until after the tour.

At the moment I'm on my way without lenses. "

Despite the blatant handicap, things are going well for the Austrian.

22nd place in Oberstdorf at the start and 27th place in the New Year's competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Now it's off to the homeland, on Tuesday at 1.30 p.m. the next tour event will take place on the Bergisel ski jump in Innsbruck.

Video: Markus Eisenbichler in front of Innsbruck - "No matter what Kobayashi does"

 "I am glad that my right eye and my brain can compensate this handicap so well," says Aschenwald, who is aggressive despite the impairment: "There has not yet been a competition that would have made me happy.

I don't like being in midfield.

I don't want to say that everything sucks because of my eyes, ”said the Zillertal.

Nevertheless, Aschenwald is happy when the lenses are finally delivered.

When he jumped with it for the first time, he was completely perplexed: "I thought to myself: Are you stupid, now I can see everything in HD!" His current achievements are all the more remarkable.

It will be interesting to see how far things will go for him in Innsbruck and Bischofshofen.

(smk)

Source: merkur

All sports articles on 2022-01-04

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