WARSAW, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- Three-time Olympic champion Kamil Stoch's chance of appearing at the Beijing Winter Games is growing as the injured ski jumper should return to training soon, Polish team doctor Aleksander Winiarski told local media on Saturday morning.
Stoch suffered an injury during the training in Zakopane two days before the FIS World Cup. An ankle injury excluded him not only from taking part in this competition on home soil, but also from the upcoming competition in Titisee-Neustadt, Germany.
Several hours after the medical examination, which showed that the 34-year-old had a damaged joint capsule and torn ligaments, the physiotherapist of the team Lukasz Gebala started specialist treatments. The official statement of the Polish Ski Association suggested that that Stoch's performance in Beijing was in big question. However, it seems that the four-time Olympic medalist will win his race against time.
"We introduced the training gradually, burdening only the permitted parts of the body with conservative treatment of this type of injury. After each such effort, we checked that everything was fine, and the magnetic resonance imaging only confirmed that it was getting better," the doctor of Poland ski jumping team Aleksander Winiarski told in Saturday's interview.
Winiarski admitted the treatment achieved the desired results in a surprisingly short time as the swelling disappeared, proving that the healing process was going well. There is a hope for Stoch to perform in the FIS World Cup event in Willingen, Germany on January 28-30. These competitions will be the last efforts before the Beijing Olympics.
"The decision about Willingen will be made next week, when Kamil may also start training on the hill. Of course, as long as the weather conditions allow it. This is an important element in the first attempts after such an injury. He couldn't come back this weekend. First of all, it's a bit too early, secondly, the falling snow and quite strong wind would not allow it," Winiarski concluded. ■
