Spectators of the Polish stage of the Ski Jumping World Cup grabbed their heads even before Czech Jan Masoch landed . Already during the flight, it became clear that the athlete was about to fall. The skis parted in different directions, and one leg buckled.
Masoch crashed down the landing mountain at great speed and immediately lost consciousness. Yang hit the snow several times before the body came to a halt in front of the shocked fans. The athlete was taken to a local hospital, and an hour later the head physician gave the first comment. Jumper was in critical condition.
Got to the Olympics at the age of 16
The Czech decided to continue the family tradition as a child. His grandfather Jiri Raska won the Olympics and was waiting for new victories from his grandson. He took the boy to training. The child enjoyed the activity very much. Already at the age of six, Yang made the first jump. years Masoch performed at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City. It was not possible to sparkle — 36th place on a large springboard. But Ian was pleased with the participation in such major competitions at a young age.
Time passed, but it was not possible to get closer to the success of the grandfather. At the World Cup, the Czech most often took places in the third ten, and all the medals at the adult level were obtained at less prestigious competitions. Despite the results, he was included in the Czech team for the Olympics in Turin. The result is the same — the 36th line.
That is why the aforementioned fall can be called the main event in Masoch's career. The incident occurred at the World Cup stage in Zakopane, Poland. Ian jumped well in the first attempt and was on the intermediate 15th place. The best result for him in his career at the World Cup. The second jump ruined everything.
Several hours later, the jumper was diagnosed with cerebral edema. The local hospital could not help the athlete, so he was transferred to a hospital in Krakow. There Masoch was put into an artificial coma.
The prosecutor's office even opened a criminal case due to Yang's fall, but law enforcement agencies quickly concluded that there were no guilty parties in the incident. The cerebral edema began to subside, the jumper was brought out of the coma two days later. only the athlete's head. None of the bones of the body were broken. On the arms, legs and body there were the usual bruises, which can be called fantastic luck. However, it took a long time to recover from a traumatic brain injury.At first, Jan could not move or talk. Doctors and relatives were afraid that he would forever remain paralyzed. Soon Masoch began to move his fingers, and then the motor functions of the whole body were restored. His speech returned. The athlete immediately stated that he did not intend to end his career at the age of 21 and wanted to return to jumping after recovery. remembered as an athlete who crashed,” explained Jan.
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“After the injury, fear began to overcome me every time I sat on the starting bar before the jump. At first I thought that this feeling would pass with time, but I was wrong. Every time I got to the top of the ski jump, I got scared and couldn't concentrate on the jumps. I thought that the tragedy could happen again,” Masoch explained. Leaving the jumps was not a solution. Shortly after the end of his career, the former athlete broke up with his wife. Masoch fell into a depression.
The Czech moved to Prague and changed his occupation. Jan became a commentator for ski jumping competitions and got a job at a local firm that organizes sports events.
Masoch's life now has no fear. In Prague, he met a new love and married a second time. Jan continues to comment on the competition, although he himself has never climbed the hill since leaving the sport.