Patrick Mayrhofer Explained

Patrick Mayrhofer
Birth Date:15 September 1987
Birth Place:Helfenberg, Upper Austria
Nationality:Austrian
Residence:Vienna
Height:173 cm
Weight:65 kg
Years Active:6
Sport:Snowboarding
Event:Snowboard Cross,
Banked Slalom
Disability Class:SB-UL
Coach:Jean-Claude Keipes, Mario Ratz
Show-Medals:yes

Patrick Mayrhofer (born 15 September 1987)[1] is Austria's most successful Paralympic Snowboarder. He won Silver in the Banked Slalom at the 2018 Winter Paralympics in PyeongChang, South Korea, Gold in the Banked Slalom at the 2015 World Para Snowboard World Championships in La Molina, Spain, and Silver in the Banked Slalom at the 2019 World Para Snowboard World Championships in Pyhä, Finland.In 2015 he was honored as the Paralympic Austrian Sports Personality of the Year (German: Behindertensportler des Jahres).

Biography

Born in Helfenberg, Upper Austria in 1987,[2] Mayrhofer had been snowboarding since childhood. He worked as an electrician until an accident in February 2008, when he guiltless touched a 6000-volt power line, causing serious injury on his right upper leg, left forearm and right hand. On his right hand the thumb and parts of the middle finger needs to be amputated. After several unsuccessful attempts to reconstruct the function of his left hand Mayrhofer decides to amputate his left hand. His surgeon Dr. Oskar Aszmann from the University of Vienna worked close together with the prosthesis technology company Ottobock. So Mayrhofer became the first patient in the world to undergo elective amputation. His left hand was amputated around 17cm (07inches) below the elbow in July 2010. After this, he was fitted with a groundbreaking prosthesis, known as a "Michelangelo Hand",[3] [4] The elective amputation allows Mayrhofer to control the prosthesis in the same way as non-amputees do:[5] EMG electrodes in the prosthesis detect muscle signals within the lower arm which can be used for prosthesis control. He can open bottles, tie shoelaces and brush his teeth within a short period of time. After the amputation, he worked closely with Ottobock's R&D department giving feedback to the engineers; in 2013 he joined the company as a product specialist in upper limb prosthesis.[6]

Paralympic sport

Visiting a prosthetics trade show in 2012, Mayrhofer saw a stall run by the Austrian Paralympic Committee, which led to him deciding to pursue para-snowboarding.At the 2015 World Para Snowboard World Championships at La Molina, Spain, Mayrhofer won the gold medal in the Banked Slalom[7] and came fifth in snowboard cross.[8]

In the 2018 Winter Paralympics, he competed in both snowboarding events, coming fifth in snowboard cross on 12 March[9] but then winning the silver medal in Banked Slalom four days later.[10]

At the 2019 World Para Snowboard World Championships at Pyhä, Finland, Mayrhofer won the silver medal in the Banked Slalom.

Competition history

DateLocationCompetitionPlacingDisciplineTeamBest timeRef
World Championships5Banked SlalomSB-UL
World ChampionshipsBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World Cup4Banked SlalomSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World Cup4Snowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Banked SlalomSB-UL
5Snowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World Cup4Banked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-ULd
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World Cup4Snowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
Continental CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
Continental CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World ChampionshipsBanked SlalomSB-UL
World Championships5Snowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World Cup4Snowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
Continental CupBanked SlalomSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL
World CupSnowboard CrossSB-UL

Personal life

Mayrhofer is married.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Athlete Profile — Patrick MAYRHOFER . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319084919/https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/PWG2018/en/snowboard/athlete-profile-n3047895-patrick-mayrhofer.htm . 19 March 2018 . 18 March 2018 . PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games.
  2. News: 4 November 2015 . Mayrhofer ist Behindertensportler des Jahres . de . MeinBezirk.at . live . 19 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319084827/https://www.meinbezirk.at/rohrbach/sport/mayrhofer-ist-behindertensportler-des-jahres-d1533244.html . 19 March 2018.
  3. News: Sruthi Pinnameneni . 6 July 2011 . Europe's first bionic hand still going strong a year on . . live . 18 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319085314/http://www.dw.com/en/europes-first-bionic-hand-still-going-strong-a-year-on/a-15213846 . 19 March 2018.
  4. Web site: 13 March 2018 . Patrick Mayrhofer . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180319084758/https://www.ottobock.com/en/paralympics/athletes/patrick-mayrhofer/ . 19 March 2018 . 18 March 2018 . Ottobock.
  5. News: Neil Bowdler . 18 May 2011 . Bionic hand for 'elective amputation' patient . . live . 18 March 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180307215216/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-13273348 . 7 March 2018.
  6. Web site: 5 June 2015 . Pilots of the Cybathlon: Patrick Mayrhofer . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180321063347/http://www.cybathlon.ethz.ch/cybathlon-news/2015/06/pilots-of-the-cyathlon-patrick-mayrhofer.html . 21 March 2018 . 20 March 2018 . Cybathlon, ETH Zurich.
  7. Web site: 28 February 2015 . 2015 IPCAS Para Snowboard World Championships La Molina: Men's Banked Slalom SB-UL . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180325045425/https://www.paralympic.org/sdms/web/calendar/sb/result/SBWI15SBMBSL01010000100 . 25 March 2018 . 24 March 2015 . International Paralympic Committee.
  8. Web site: 24 February 2015 . 2015 IPCAS Para Snowboard World Championships La Molina: Men's snowboard cross SB-UL . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20180325105756/https://www.paralympic.org/sdms/web/calendar/sb/result/SBWI15SBMSBX01010000100 . 25 March 2018 . 24 March 2015 . International Paralympic Committee.
  9. Web site: 12 March 2018 . Medals and Ranking — Men's Snowboard Cross SB-UL . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317164751/https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/PWG2018/en/snowboard/medals-and-ranking-men-s-snowboard-cross-sb-ul.htm . 17 March 2018 . 16 March 2018 . PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games.
  10. Web site: 16 March 2018 . Medals and Ranking — Men's Banked Slalom SB-UL . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20180317164824/https://www.pyeongchang2018.com/en/game-time/results/PWG2018/en/snowboard/medals-and-ranking-men-s-banked-slalom-sb-ul.htm . 17 March 2018 . 16 March 2018 . PyeongChang Organizing Committee for the 2018 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games.