Jakob Mandlbauer of Team Austria pilots his team as they participate in four-man Bobsleigh training on Day 13 of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.Al Bello/Getty Images
Austrian bobsleigh pilot Jakob Mandlbauer has been discharged from hospital after suffering a back injury in a crash at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, the Austrian Olympic Committee said on Tuesday.
The 27-year-old was released from Salzburg Accident Hospital after undergoing a comprehensive check-up and medical treatment for an intervertebral disc problem sustained in the four-man bobsleigh event in Cortina on Saturday.
“The pain is still there, but it’s getting better every day. I’m glad to be back home now,” said Mandlbauer, who will begin physiotherapy next week.
“We’re optimistic that we can get everything back on track with physiotherapy. But I’m also aware that this won’t happen overnight.”
Mandlbauer’s sled flipped upside down during Saturday’s race in one of three crashes that caused several delays. His three teammates walked away uninjured.
The Austrian said the crash continues to weigh on him as it resulted from his own error.
“The mistake annoys me even more now because it was the same one twice,” he said, while adding that his full focus is now on rehabilitation.
Mandlbauer was initially treated at Codivilla Hospital in Cortina before being transferred to Treviso and then airlifted to Salzburg on Sunday.