Six-week break

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The Olympic start of rower Magdalena Lobnig is in danger. Around three months before the Paris Games, the single sculls bronze medal winner from Tokyo was diagnosed with a severe herniated disc in her cervical spine, as the ÖOC announced on Tuesday.

Lobnig can therefore only do lower body training at the moment. Her doctors have prescribed a six-week break from competition.

Problems in the neck and shoulder area are nothing new for Lobnig. She was already struggling with severe, recurring pain in the winter, which culminated in a lumbago in her neck. Physiotherapy and massages helped to get the problems under control to some extent. The current diagnosis means that Lobnig is worried about her fitness for the upcoming major event. The 33-year-old said that the symptoms were "limited for her size". However, there is uncertainty about the extent to which the symptoms will subside.

"Regeneration suffers as a result"
"I wake up three times a night to check whether my fingers and feet are still working," reported Lobnig, who has also been diagnosed with impingement syndrome in her shoulder. Sleeping is generally difficult because she can only lie in certain positions. "Regeneration also suffers as a result." Training the upper body is only possible to a limited extent. The preparation had to be changed to avoid strain on the cervical spine.

The dream of a joint Olympic start with sister Katharina in the double scull is about to come to an end, as the boat still has to qualify for the Games. The remaining quota regatta will be held in Lucerne in mid-May. "It's going to be very difficult to get this on track and I'm particularly sorry for my sister, who has given up everything and sacrificed a lot. But there's a medical reason for it and in the end - Olympics or not - it's about not leaving any major damage behind," said Magdalena Lobnig.

The athlete from Völkermarkt wants to compete in the single sculls in Paris, and this goal remains. "I remain positive that we can do it."