The upcoming World Cup season will take place without Niels Hintermann. As the Zurich native announced on Wednesday afternoon, he has been diagnosed with cancer.
09.10.2024, 07:18
09.10.2024, 16:22
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- Swiss ski racer Niels Hintermann will miss the upcoming World Cup season. He has been diagnosed with lymph node cancer.
- The doctors are confident about both the chances of recovery and the continuation of his career.
- For the time being, Hintermann is concentrating fully on his upcoming chemotherapy. A sporting comeback is planned in a year at the earliest.
"There is no danger to my life, the doctor reassured me," said the 29-year-old skier at a media conference at the Hirslanden Clinic in Zurich. The cancer was detected at an early stage. "The chances of recovery are very good. It is very well under control, although it is a rare type of cancer," Hintermann continued. The doctors are confident - not only about the healing process, but also about the continuation of his career as a ski racer.
Hintermann says that he received the dire findings last Tuesday during standard examinations. "The physiotherapist found a thick lymph node on my neck when he was treating me. I didn't notice it. But that's why we took a closer look." Fortunately, they reacted quickly.
Swiss Ski doctor Walter O. Frey went on to explain that there were no abnormalities and that all the findings in this regard were good. Apart from the diagnosis, all clarifications were in Hintermann's favor. Nevertheless, the diagnosis of lymph node cancer was of course a "shock", says the skier.
"It still sucks. But there are a lot of positive things, such as the fact that it was discovered early and is easily curable," says Hintermann, who now wants to focus fully on chemotherapy. Sport is almost his last priority at the moment, says the Zurich native. He immediately thought of his wife, family and friends.
No thoughts of retiring from skiing
He now has two cycles of chemotherapy and probably another two weeks of radiotherapy ahead of him. "That alone takes three months. The season is over," says Hintermann, looking ahead to a difficult time.
After that, the main sporting goal is to be able to start preparing with the team again next August. He is not thinking of retiring, says Hintermann.
This is the second time Hintermann has had to miss an entire season. He did not race in 2017/18. Back then, he was suffering from a shoulder injury.
Hintermann did not really get up to speed last season. He only finished in the top 10 four times. His lone top result was his victory at the end of the season in the downhill in Kvitfjell - his third triumph in the World Cup.
