Painful birthday greetings for Laura Nolte in Innsbruck
First the strong World Cup opener with victory and third place. Then the return of the regular pusher dies and, last but not least, her own birthday. Actually, the week for Unna’s bobsleigh pilot Laura Nolte in Innsbruck-Igls could have been very pleasant.
The most painful present comes from the “work tool”
Just in time for her birthday on Tuesday, the now 23-year-old got it. The day had actually started quite well, because the “girls” around regular pusher Deborah Levi and new team member Viktoria Dönicke had prepared some little surprises for their birthday.
“When I carried the bobsleigh away after training, my back cracked a lot,” reports Nolte of the shock moment of the day. “Afterwards I couldn’t walk, stand or sit. I already thought that was it for now. “
Big thanks to the physios
Fortunately, the Bobsleigh Association also has its “medicine men” with them in Innsbruck, who have immediately taken care of their fast launch rocket. “It’s sensational what they did. I had eight treatments and I’m doing really well again, ”Nolte is optimistic about the coming World Cups in the monobob (Saturday) and in the two-man (Sunday).
Of course, she already had an explanation for the injury ready: “I’m getting older and the impacts are getting closer,” commented Altenberg’s third place in the World Cup smugly.
During training on Thursday I was still slightly handicapped, especially at the start, but now the competitions should run.
Hope in the ice master
The pilot has also made peace with the rather poor quality of the ice on the runway. “It seems like the ice has got a little better. It’s not that rough anymore, ”said the German champion. “Or I’ve got used to it.”
Hopefully the ice champion in the 1976 Olympic ice channel will have a creamy day for the upcoming competitions. Rumbling and jerking would certainly be anything but good for Nolte back patient.