"I'm paid to surf and not to run," Philip Köster said jokingly at his home World Cup in Pozo as he limped across the course. He was already in a lot of pain at the time, but he wanted to take part in the World Cup at all costs. In view of the new diagnosis, his fifth place in Pozo is hard to believe.
Several ligaments in the foot torn
On 11 May, Köster injured his left foot during a training jump on Gran Canaria. According to the initial diagnosis, it was a splintered metatarsal bone (metatarsal bone) and did not require surgical treatment. However, despite intensive rehabilitation measures and a longer break, Köster was plagued by severe pain on his comeback and in subsequent competitions. Köster travelled to Fiji for the IWT/PWA World Cup, but was unable to compete due to the injury. At the beginning of July in Pozo, the 29-year-old gritted his teeth and fought his way back to fifth place after an early exit in the first round. But the pain didn't get any better. "That's why I consulted an absolute expert, Professor Doctor Markus Walther in Munich," reports Köster. "He quickly recognised the cause of my complaints, because in addition to the bone splintering, several ligaments were also torn. The operation went really well, the ligaments were stitched up and some screws were added for more stability. I'm in very good spirits as far as the healing process is concerned."
Comeback after serious injury in 2016
Köster had already suffered a horror knee injury during training in Australia in 2016. "After my bad knee injury in 2016, I came back stronger than before and became world champion again the very next year. If I could achieve this feat again, it would be great," says Köster confidently. However, Köster will definitely miss the World Cups on Sylt and at the end of the season on Maui. He is currently at Red Bull's APC (Athletes Performance Centre) in Salzburg. He is undergoing intensive rehab there. Up-and-coming freestyle star Lennart Neubauer was also made fit again by the team in Salzburg after his injury, as his sixth place at the PWA Freestyle World Cup on Fuerteventura showed. In this respect, we can hope that Köster will be able to fight for the world title again in 2024.
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Andreas Erbe
Chief editor surf
