Rachel Atherton has posted the footage of the moment her Achilles Tendon snapped at the Les Gets World Cup and has confirmed she will be out for the rest of the season. It's a tough piece of footage to watch with Rachel in a lot of distress so it's probably one to skip if you're not a fan of graphic content.
Warning: graphic content.The video shows her landing the finish drop a bit short but she seems to ride away fine at first. A few seconds later you hear the pain kick in and she rolls down to the finish area in a lot of pain with one foot unclipped. The clip ends with spectators trying to find her a medic and Rachel trying to make it back to the pits.
| Don't watch if you’re squeamish, my mum cried! What it sounds like to snap your Achilles’ tendon on the landing. It just felt so bizzare at first then the pain came!
My 3rd run having so much fun - I sent the Long Jump (first jump you see) & jumped furthest out of the Women! Yeeeaawww. Then 30 seconds later Cased the finish jump & that was my season over!! From long jump to short jump. I didn’t know whether to post this as it’s quite emotional & a bit grim,but I’m posting it now! Thanks to John for helping me out—Rachel Atherton |
Rachel has already undergone surgery on her tendon and is starting the recovery process. She posted another Instagram of her preparing to go under the knife earlier this week:
| As suspected I’ve completely torn my Achilles Tendon! So it’s Surgery today to fix it! Couldn’t be more different to this day exactly a week ago! Olly Davey looking after me tho. I wanted to watch the World Cup on Red Bull but I’ll be under the knife when they drop in which is so BIZARRE to think about!!
I really REALLY appreciate all your lovely messages, I’m just feeling super disappointed not to be able to keep the battle going this year with the girls & keep pushing myself & the new bike.—Rachel Atherton |
We wish Rachel the best in her continued recovery and hope to see her back on the bike soon. Healing vibes!
Not gonna watch Rachel's for the same reason.
Best wishes Rachel get stronger than ever.
m.pinkbike.com/news/graphic-broke-my-ankle-riding-dh-video.html
Next season is going to be awesome though. Rachel, Tanhee and Pom Pon looking for redemption, Tracey will be going hard to back up this season's success and Cabirou & Hoffman are coming into their own. Can't wait!
imgur.com/a/5ko6oBu
- buddy driving my car back from foxhunt - i was so drugged i never felt any pain
- operated a few days later
- first ride ( heavily restricted ) 23rd february ( i posted a picture of it *on my pinkbike photos )
- my buddy been showing me around whistler - i'm chicken shit to do most of it but yeah there's that
my fitness level is miles apart from rachbox... i wouldn't be surprised if she would get back on her bike in 3 months time and wouldn't call it a miracle recovery, just determination and dedication....
Wishing you a very speedy recovery !
Super fast recovery,
Super power vibes comin atchya Rach.
From
Pete and Noah (8yrs)
However, lately I've been questioning this. I'm starting to think that Rachel is not only the greatest female DH racer of all time, but that we are seeing as close to the female maximum performance potential as we ever will. Seeing her injure her tendon like this, plus other injuries shes had, I think she is so fast that she's pushing the limit on female physiology. I'm not sure women can go any faster. Not only that, but look at her technique. This is most clearly contrasted with Pompon: Rachel rides like a man. Pompon steers her bike with her lower body, rides in a further back position, and drives from the hips. Rachel rides with her upper body. Shes more forward on the bike, more active in her arms, and keeps her weight lower. In sheer physical strength shes probably the strongest woman to ever race professionally, plus she has technique that some of the pro men envy.
Anyways, those are my thoguhts.
Rachel's days of winning races by 10s were behind her even before this injury. The women's field is becoming increasingly competitive.
"As close to the maximum female performance potential" as we will ever see. I don't know where to begin with this other than to say I think it is nonsense. This line might make more sense if you were talking about 100m sprinting or even marathons (although it would still be untrue), but there are so many variables in DH racing which contribute to success. To suggest we've seen the best that women riders will ever achieve just shows how little you rate female athletes.
As for your explanation of Rachel's superior masculine riding style, I think you are way off the mark again. There's a bizarre array of wildly different riding styles in the men's elite - which should female rider's copy?
There's no doubt that Rachel has been a dominant force in the sport and is an exceptional rider, but she's out of contention now and for the foreseeable future. That doesn't mean the sport is over, it just means it's time for other talent to shine.
If she was so superior in terms of ability and physical prowess she'd never be beaten, except she was. She wasn't even leading the overall prior to her accident. She's very talented and enjoyed a long period of dominance. It doesn't mean she reached the pinnacle of female potential.
This is why medical professionals are so undervalued. Most folk just don't know the first thing to do in these situations.
If my son is critically injured my wife or I will be managing his airway and/or cervical spine as needed until full-time professional emergency healthcare professionals are able to take over. Your "medics" will be welcome to assist and thanked repeatedly for their help.
If he's just got a broken arm on the other hand, your "medics" are welcome to get their splinting practice in on him and I'll just carry his shit down the hill.
I fully understand where you're coming from and why. I'll just still tell you to shit in your lunch as I see fit. He's my kid. Not yours.
Just because you as a "race official" deem someone "qualified" doesn't mean shit. I have enough actual experience in emergency medical care to know better.
Stuff your "check your facts" into your lunchbox while you're shitting in it.
@mtbswindler:
Good ones. You'll probably get 5+ props now. Keep these killer insults coming.
Prolly some of the best medic/1st aid training available to civilians. Don't under estimate what this type of training can do for someone. Personally I think any person who is active outdoors or involved in sports should take this training. Some employers are now providing this training to employees - how I got my training.
I mean, you could always pray to Jesus to heal you, but I'll take my chances with someone who has some 1st aid training...
Yes, I am. But this thread wasn't about my resume. It's about a race official telling me what I can and cannot do with my child. That race official, as previously mentioned can shit in his/her lunch. Even a prestigious "level 2" race official.
M1dg3t: sorry for missing the joke completely.
I agree. A trained person of any experience level is a way better choice that praying to your preferred diety.
The reality is that the very vast majority of race "medics" while well intentioned lack real trauma experience. That may be different elsewhere, but I doubt it. Therefore, if my son is acutely hurt or ill and my wife or I is more experienced or capable than the "medic" I'm going to make choices accordingly. I don't care about the race rules or anyone's opinion about it. The medics assistance and use of their equipment would be forever appreciated.
I hope that's clarified things.
Good punch line though.
Same goes for the jump in Leogang where Remy Thirion crashed.
I wish something like that does never happen again and who ever is in charge is not waiting until somebody gets seriously hurt and only then change the course (Leogang) or not at all (Les Gets).
As you could read from Hoffman's interview, riders complained about the jump early on and avoided it in training.
This is unprofessional and irresponsible.
This is not content. This is what oversharing and being addicted to attention looks like, kids.