Monday, thirty-year-old Hanna Falk of the Swedish National Team announced on Instagram she would miss the upcoming World Cup season due to a back injury.
Falk wrote she had endured back pain for the last month and confirmed an issue with a disk. According to Falk, she had been able to manage her back pain the past few years, but currently the issue had “reached a new level.”
A translation of the Instagram post stated she will need surgery and rehab before returning to the sport.
Last season, Falk ended her 2018-2019 World Cup season ranked 20th overall in the sprint standings. During the 2016-2017 World Cup, Falk was ranked third overall. She was fourth overall in 2017-2018.
Falk had three individual World Cup sprint podiums last season including a skate sprint win in Falun, Sweden and another skate sprint victory in Dresden, Germany.
