Nina Hoffmann announced this morning that she will not be attending both the World Champs and the final World Cup after a crash in training. Hoffmann was testing a larger frame for World Champs when she slipped out on a root and landed badly on her right shoulder. After being checked over at a hospital she discovered that she had partially torn a ligament in her shoulder. Hoffmann has said that her 2019 season is now over and she will have to decide whether to have surgery or not. It is such a shame to see a breakout season from the German rider end in this way.
| I think something doesn't want me to have a positive ending of the season. What happened: tested a larger frame for World Champs yesterday - took it super easy to NOT crash before the most important race of the season - had a lot of fun - slipped away on a tiny root - landed super hard on my right shoulder - thought everything could be okay (just bruised and strained) - went to the hospital for a quick check and got the diagnosis of a partially torn ligament in my shoulder, the question now is surgery or not... That's it. Season is over. Have fun everyone at World Champs and World Cup finals, I'm out.— Nina Hoffmann |
We're wishing Nina all the best with her recovery and hope to see her back on the bike soon.
Werde bald gesund Nina!
I wonder how many are making an income that justifies the risk (not that it's the only metric - some will compete no matter the financial reward).
As for the income, I don't think any mountain bike racer is making anywhere close enough to "justify" the potential for a serious, life alternating injury. They mainly do it because its pretty rad to get paid to do something you love, even if its not a ton of $$$. One could argue that no sport offers enough money to make the serious injury math work out, but at least with pro level football (Murican version and World version) and some others you can potentially accumulate generational wealth and have access to the best medical services.
Anyway, I hope Nina can get on the mend quickly and someone will pick her up on a factory team.
This sport is one of attrition, not of excessive risk. And it's a sport, not a desk. In the old days, there were just as many devastating injuries. It is a non-perfecy endeavor with so many variables that you simply cannot stay up every time.
GM has had gnarly "career threatening" injuries since he was young. Same with Hill, Atherton, Peaty and back and back. The change our sport needed to save its stars was ditching 4 Cross. That is and was a death race.
Those ladies are choosing to hit the jumps just like the men. There isn’t enough money in this sport to say anyone is doing it for that reason...other than the ultra top.
If you don’t want the risk or can’t handle the gnar, don’t show up.
Worst of all Haruko Fujinaka at the Big Bear National and “Earthquake” Jake Watson at the Keysville Classic.
I would argue it was more dangerous in the good old days when average speeds were higher and the technology was not as good.
@pinkbikeaudience you really need to change that foolishness.
As for life changing injuries, Matti Lehikoinen.
Props, great. Neg props, grow up.
For my money, if you’ve got a real issue with something someone said then say something. And the other funny thing is, everyone bangs on about how we should all be more positive.. but nobody wants to do away with the neg prop. Go figure.
Also, Nina on Syndicate please.
This.
edit: then again, does her team get the same level of support now?
I would personally do everything I could in my control to make sure I make it to raceday in the best condition possible.
On one of the other clips I saw EWS pros wearing half shell helmets at their Northstar "shakedown" day. This boggles my mind since when your at a new location, the first day is probably when you are gonna crash.
Maybe this could work with some US football shoulder pads, something rigid not strapped to the shoulder but to the whole upper body to mitigate the energy everywhere but on the shoulder.
In that case, it may well be her being cautious that caused the fall. Had she bombed through it, she would have flown over that root. Maybe by being cautious her reflexes were altered. Just a guess, I'm no pro^^
Max Morgan - same. Dakota Norton - pretty sure the same. Aaron Gwin - full suit. 2 shoulders.
The list of elites with blown shoulders wearing pads is long.
@Will-narayan is on it. The shoulder isn't a bone. It's is, however, the most mobile joint on our bodies & the one that DH riders like to get rolling and toss onto the ground with the weight and rolling inertia of an entire human body.
Oh and bizutch - no armor...separated shoulder. And I had armor I wasn't wearing the day I went down & it would have done nothing.
Yeah, not the smartest thing, but i come from XC. I started wearing kneepads 2 years ago after almost 10 years of riding ~150 mm full suspension bikes. With the fullface i really hate how the chin guard hides my handlebars from peripheral vision which means i don't know where the bike is under me. With an open helmet i know how high i am in the berm.
Or at least that’s why I assume why we say it.
Like quite a few of our phrases, I imagine it has its origins in mediaeval times.
Also, everybody's fantasy team is rekt.