No World Cup since May

Long competition break extended once again

Stefan Pokorny's break from competition has been delayed by almost two months. The karateka injured himself in training and will not be able to compete in Paris. He competed in his last World Cup in May. The Kuchler sees the long break in a positive light.

It's been a long time! The last time Stefan Pokorny faced an opponent in a competition was in May last year. The karateka has only been training since the European Championships in Croatia. "I actually think that's a good thing. I've been able to really invest a lot in training," says the man from Kuchl. "I've been able to work through a lot of blocks of endurance and strength, I've trained at a really high level." The Premier League in Paris (Marina Vukovic is on the starting line) should finally resume on Friday. But that's not going to happen. The Kuchler injured his ankle in training a few days ago. "I have absolutely no idea how it happened," said the 33-year-old, clearly puzzled.

He explains: "I finished my training as normal. Suddenly I felt my ankle in the shower and had it checked out by my physio straight away." He immediately made the diagnosis: a pulled muscle and a break of around two weeks. That's why Pokorny doesn't want to take any risks now, let the injury heal well and start at the second stop of the Premier League in China at the beginning of March. His focus is only on the second half of the season anyway: "This year, the focus is on the World Cup (note: in Leipzig in May). The second half is the important half."