Suffered an ankle fracture in December – this weekend makes a competitive comeback
For this season, Hedda Bångman switched Ski Classics teams to the Czech Vltava Fund Ski Team. In the premiere in Bad Gastein, Bångman finished seventh after a solid race.
But the following weekend, at La Venosta Criterium, disaster struck:
“I was hit from behind on a downhill by another skier. I immediately realized that my foot did not feel right, but I didn’t have much pain. The binding broke, so my first thought was to find a new ski, but after a few minutes, I felt I could not complete the race. When I removed the boot and saw my ankle, I got a bad feeling right away”, Bångman said to Langd.se.
Two weeks ago, she removed the “boot” that she had been wearing since the accident (but she still has a smaller support around the ankle).
Over the last ten days, she has been able to ski:
“Initially, it was on the SkiErg and a lot of strength training, and I feel that I have become stronger in the core and upper body. Then, I don’t have the same muscle strength in my leg as before; it will take a few weeks before I am fully back. But I feel progression with every session I do, which is nice,” says Bångman.
And already this Saturday, she will wear a bib again, starting at the Kristinaloppet’s 30 kilometers in Norberg:
“I never thought I would be able to come back this quickly. When I realized what happened in La Venosta, I thought the season was over. But now it’s so good that I want to try it. Then, I will be careful in curves and downhill skiing. But Kristinaloppet is a relatively flat race,” says Hedda Bångman.
What are your thoughts on continuing to compete during the winter?
“Of course, I have hopes for Orsa Grönklitt (next weekend, there are double Ski Classics Pro Tour events). But I’m competing this weekend and will take it as a test and evaluate it afterward. It feels fascinating to be able to compete again,” says Bångman.