Tereza Nova, 26, has been placed in a medically induced coma following brain surgery to treat injuries she suffered during a training accident.
The fall occurred on Friday (January 24) as the Czech Olympic skier prepared for Saturday’s women’s World Cup downhill in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.
The Czech Ski Federation shared their support for Nova in a statement on Saturday: “We are all thinking of Tereza and wish her a speedy recovery and lots of strength.”
Doctors at the Murnau hospital performed surgery to reduce swelling in Nova’s brain, BBC News reports. She will remain in a medically induced coma for an undetermined period, with her condition being closely monitored by medical professionals.
The Czech Ski Federation confirmed Nova’s condition, adding in its statement: “She underwent surgery to reduce brain swelling at the Murnau hospital and will remain in a medically induced coma for as long as the medical team deems necessary.”
Nova, who represented the Czech Republic at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, competed in four races during the Games.
Her best result was 14th place in the women’s alpine combined event. She also placed 14th in the mixed team parallel event, 28th in the women’s downhill, and 33rd in the women’s Super-G.
Her World Cup experience has been limited, with only three downhill events under her belt, but Nova has competed more frequently on the European Cup circuit.
She debuted internationally in December 2014 and took part in the Junior World Championships in Val di Fassa in 2019, per Fox News.
Nova’s first World Cup appearance came in November 2019, when she competed in the slalom event in Levi, though she did not qualify for the second round.
Her final Instagram post was shared just two days before her horror fall, and showed her taking part in cardio training and asking her fans to guess how much she was able to successfully lift.
View this post on Instagram
Nova’s condition is being closely followed by fans and teammates, all hoping for positive news in the days ahead.
We wish the Olympian the very best on her recovery journey.
