Industry News
Nina Ortlieb suffered a triple fracture while training in St. Moritz, Switzerland for the Downhill and Super-G races of the FIS World Cup circuit. The Austrian skier broke her tibia and fibula in three places. The complicated fracture ends the 23/24 FIS Alpine World Cup season for the 27-year-old ski racer.
Ortlieb shared footage of her leg post-surgery on Austrian National TV station ORF Sport (screenshot below — beware, graphic image). On her Instagram account, the Austrian skier wrote:
“Can’t describe how it feels to be so close towards your dreams but suddenly so far away! I’ll be out for the season but will keep on fighting. Thanks for all the kind messages.”
It is the 20th surgery for Ortlieb, who has suffered several fractures, dislocations, and other injuries. Previously, Ortlieb suffered fractures in the upper arm, pubic bone, pelvis, ribs, hand, ankle, and nose and has had multiple knee operations. The most recent knee injury had been in January 2021, causing the Austrian to miss the 2022 Olympics.
It is a disappointing end to a great great year for Ortlieb. In March, she celebrated her greatest career success with Silver in the Downhill at the 2023 World Championships in Courchevel & Meribel, France. In her career thus far the Austrian skier has won two FIS World Cup races and a total of four podiums.
Nina is the daughter of Olympic Gold medallist Patrick Ortlieb, whose career ended abruptly when he broke his femur in a training run in Kitzbühel, Austria at the age of 31. “She is simply a fighter in character, always at the limit, no matter what she does. And she always wants to be the best. She has already paid very dearly for it in terms of health,” Patrick Ortlieb said about his daughter
