"Iron Max" fights

Hammerle’s long road back to the long distance

On his way back, Hammerle occasionally treats himself to an ice cream from his head sponsor.

(Bild: Maurice Shourot)

"Who would ever think that a triathlete could injure themselves so badly during a swim training session that they would be out of action for months as a result?" says long-distance specialist Maximilian Hammerle, shaking his head. But that's exactly what happened to the Vorarlberg native at the end of October 2023.

"I was helping to clean up after training. The equipment trolley hit me on the left leg," recalls the 30-year-old. "The wound in the Achilles tendon area was already bleeding heavily, but I still cycled home." But the bleeding didn't get any better there. "So I went to hospital to have the wound stitched up."

Shock diagnosis quickly ticked off
At the hospital, however, the Schwarzacher was quickly - at least for a short time - left with nothing. "The doctor said it was a partial rupture of the Achilles tendon and that I would have to wear a plaster cast for six weeks," says "Iron Max", who was subsequently given the first plaster cast of his life. "Of course, this diagnosis was a shock for me at first. But I quickly realized that I could either moan about it or accept it and make the best of it." He opted for option two. "I immediately tried everything I could to stay fit without putting any strain on the injured leg." He also underwent intensive therapy with the specialists at the Vorarlberg Olympic Center.

Place and time for comeback open
Healing went well - considering the severity of the injury. "The point is, a tendon grows together much more slowly than a bone, for example," says the trained physiotherapist. It remains to be seen when Max will start the season: "I'm training again, but I'm still a long way off, especially when it comes to running. Ideally, I'd like to start in Frankfurt in August. Although that's almost too close by now..."