Reigning freestyle champion heads for opening round after breaking shoulder in practice
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al Mulla aims to begin the defence of his freestyle title in the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship this weekend despite breaking his shoulder while preparing for the start of the new season in Kuwait.
The Emirati rider, world champion for the last two years after ten Grand Prix victories in succession, heads into Thursday’s official practice for the Grand Prix of Kuwait uncertain of whether he will be able to contest the first moto the next day.
“I will do my best to start and get as many points as I can” said Al Mulla. “The pain is only about 30% now and I want to give it a try. I was doing a back flip with one hand in training when my hand slipped and I fell on the ski and broke my right shoulder.”
After hospital treatment three weeks ago, Al Mulla was told he would need a month to recover, and kept his injury largely to himself in the build-up to the new season. If he recovers in time, Team Abu Dhabi will retain hopes of a triple world title success this season, despite the certainty that this will be a hugely competitive world championship.
With three-times Ski Ladies GP1 champion Emma-Nellie Ortendahl making her Team Abu Dhabi debut in Kuwait, Rashed Al Tayer hopes to repeat his opening round Grand Prix victory in Portugal last season while Salman Al Awadhi challenges in Ski GP1.