Friend Michael Vogt was in the bobsleigh accident: this is how Melanie Hasler experienced the horror week

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When Melanie Hasler (25) reaches the finish line, she sits down. This monobob race in Altenberg (De) cost the Swiss team leader his strength. Not so much physically. But mentally. It is the first World Cup race on the fateful track, where four days earlier Hasler’s friend Michael Vogt (26) fell in the four-man bobsleigh and pusher Sandro Michel (27) was seriously injured.

“It was important for my mind to ride the race, to get back into everyday life,” Hasler tells Blick, “but I will be very happy to be able to leave Altenberg on Sunday after the two-man race. »

Hasler decided to continue driving

Of course, Hasler’s turbulent days continue into the weekend as well. “I feel that my thoughts are more scattered,” says the woman from Aargau about the horror week. “It often makes me think. But I was able to concentrate well in the race and the stages have been okay so far.”

It helps her that the news from the Dresden clinic about Michel’s health is encouraging, even though, according to Swiss Sliding, he will now undergo a third operation in Dresden early this week before being transported back to Switzerland. “In winter we live together as a family almost 24/7. That’s why I feel very sorry for Sandro,” Hasler said.

After the life-threatening tragedy, the Swiss federation left it to the other teams to decide whether they wanted to continue with the World Cup program as planned or not. Hasler skipped practice on Wednesday the day after the crash. On this day she picks up her life partner Vogt, who spent a night in the local hospital with a severe concussion. The pilot has now returned to Switzerland. The phone calls with him also help Hasler regain his focus for the races.

“Only after the World Cup will I be able to process everything.”

Because she is looking forward to everyday life again because next week the highlight of the season comes with the World Cup in Winterberg. Altenberg was an important World Cup test for Hasler, especially in the monobob. For weeks she has been tracking down mysterious delays in the single-person sled that cannot be explained solely by driving errors. That is why Hasler tested material in St. Moritz last week and now, despite the Michel drama, he needed the trips to Altenberg to get new information. But 13th place was not a step forward in their drag puzzle.

Hasler is now happy that the season after the World Cup is over. “Only then will I have time to process everything.” She will travel directly to the World Cup location while Vogt recovers in Switzerland. It remains to be seen when the fast bobsleigh couple will meet again. Vogt is now out of the two-man race at the World Championship (replacement: Timo Rohner), participation in the four-man race is still open.

Source : Blick