World junior champion Justin Lisso re-tears ACL; career in jeopardy

German ski jumper Justin Lisso has suffered another serious setback. The 2018 World Junior Championships gold medalist in the men’s team event (and mixed team silver) has torn the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee again—his third ACL rupture in roughly two years.

Lisso first tore a knee ligament in June 2023, which sidelined him for many months. After a lengthy rehabilitation and a brief return, he sustained the same injury again more than a year later. He had been working to regain form this season, even training with the German B-team under Austria’s Thomas Thurnbichler, but the latest diagnosis has halted his comeback.

In a statement on Monday, the German Ski Association wrote that Lisso has “again suffered a rupture of the ACL in his right knee,” adding that he will take the time needed to recover and sending him support and best wishes. Given the recurrence and severity of the injury, there are fears that returning to his previous level could be extremely difficult.

Lisso, who caught wider attention with strong World Cup appearances in 2021/22—including 11th and 12th in Titisee-Neustadt—and additional points the following season (such as 13th in Oslo and 15th in Lahti), now faces uncertain prospects for continuing his international career.