A doctor had written it off, now it shines in Val Gardena: the fairy tale about Odermatt’s friend Marco Kohler

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A rustic “whoop” by Marco Odermatt (26) is now almost part of the standard program at World Cup races. During the shortened descent in Val Gardena (I), the reigning world champion delivers two samples of this most natural form of singing.

The defending champion in the overall World Cup is happy with his 53rd podium finish in the World Cup in third place. Odermatt let out a particularly joyful shout immediately after the athlete wearing bib number 41 rode away. We are talking about his first namesake, yearmate, brand colleague “Stöckli” and friend Marco Kohler, who after a brutal period of suffering finished eighth in his third World Cup appearance! The two met as young children at a Migros Grand Prix final, and later the Nidwalden native and Bernese Oberlander attended sports high school together in Engelberg. Marco and Marco often spend their holiday time together.

Total damage to the left knee

Kohler has long been considered the bigger talent than Odermatt. When the then Swiss ski junior boss Osi Inglin published a ranking of the biggest future prospects in Blick in 2015, he placed Kohler first, while Odermatt was not in the top 6. But then Marco from Meiringen starts to stagnate for health reasons, while Marco from Buochs ​​​​needed only two more attempts before he was in the top 20 of the World Cup for the first time.

And then comes January 14, 2020, which proves to be a fateful day for both of them. But unfortunately in the complete opposite direction. Odermatt successfully completed his first day of skiing in Engelberg on Tuesday after suffering a meniscus injury in Alta Badia and really got going from there, while Kohler, the previous skier, fell at the finish S during the first training session on the Lauberhorn. The devastating diagnosis: not only the cruciate ligament of the left knee was torn, but also the patellar tendon and the inner ligament. However, the Haslitaler only experienced the ultimate low point about five months after the operation: “At first I made decent progress, but then came the big stop. The knee suddenly stopped working altogether. And my doctor told me he couldn’t imagine me ever being able to play competitive sports again.”

Rebuilding with the Struggling Kings

To change his mind after this bleak prognosis, Kohler works in the office of his father’s car garage. But he never gives up hope for a happy sporting ending. And eventually he finds the solution to his problem in the orbit of wrestling kings Matthias Glarner and Kilian Wenger. “Kilä” and “Mättel” have been relying on Roland Fuchs’ methods in the field of strength and conditioning for years and have jointly set up a training center in Wilderswil. Now this very smart fox has also helped Marco Kohler get back on his feet.

«Roli quickly found the perfect form of training for my damaged knee. It was also very good for me that I could no longer complete the fitness and core training alone, but with a few wrestlers. That inspired me enormously.”

Super friend Odermatt

In this phase the friendship with Odermatt also proves to be useful. “Even though Marco went through the roof during the World Cup, he was there for me in every situation. When he arranged to meet Roman Josi and Mark Streit in Interlaken for a round of golf, he took me along because he knew that, as an avid ice hockey fan, he would give me enormous pleasure from this meeting. And of course he helped me a lot with my comeback by telling me every detail about the new material.”

All this led to Kohler securing a place in this World Cup winter last winter with his overall downhill victory in the European Cup. And now his first top 10 finish at the highest level is also causing great feelings for the Odermatts. «I am very happy with our Marco’s third place. But because I know how far Kohler Marco was, his eighth place touches me even more emotionally,” admits Odermatt’s father Walti, who watched the shortened descent from Val Gardena together with Kohler’s father Melchior in the fan booth.

Source : Blick