Skier Armand Marchant regained his top level thanks to an exoskeleton
Monday, December 16, 2019 by Laëtitia Bernard – ESPRIT SPORT
The Alpine Ski World Cup stopped this weekend in Val d’Isère...
On the slopes, we saw a young Belgian skier who finished 18th in the slalom: Armand Marchant, who had suffered a serious injury three years earlier.
Seven surgeries and about two years later, he decided to take on the challenge of returning to the top level. He put his skis back on, first on small slopes. With little incline, his knee quickly hurt again.
He also had to find new sponsors, as many walk away when you get injured. He then noticed a unique opportunity, offered by the company developing the exoskeleton: an external device that supports about one-third of the body’s weight thanks to a spring that compresses with each flexion and releases energy on extension.
Today, he has achieved his goal: returning to the World Cup. He is now back in the world’s top 40. Of course, he doesn’t use the exoskeleton in competition, but he now relies on it for certain training sessions and especially for personal skiing, such as freeriding with his family.
Armand Marchant finished 18th in the 2019 Critérium de la Première Neige in Val d’Isère (21st in the first run, 7th in the second run).
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