The fact that one of the overall champion favorites withdrew from the championship was decided over the weekend less than an hour before the start of the race in Vikersund, Norway. At the beginning of the new week, the public found out the reasons for the sudden decision, which Kubacki himself said on social networks.

“Regarding my sudden return, I owe you some information,” the former world champion wrote on Instagram on Monday. “My wife had to go to hospital for cardiological reasons. She was in serious condition and the doctors were fighting for her life. She was in good hands and she was a strong girl, I knew she would make it. Of course it meant the end of the season for me, but it didn’t important now.” said the nine-time Olympic and World Championship medalist. He and his wife have two children, daughter Maja born earlier this year during the Tour Four Bridges.

Due to Kubacky’s absence, Norway’s Halvor Egner Granerud was already the SP winner on Sunday, sending words of encouragement to his opponent. “Everyone must be strong. Good luck and good luck” he wrote in the comments column.

Three individual races and two team races remain until the end of this year’s World Cup. Kubacki is currently second overall, but is unlikely to stay on the podium. Austrian third Stefan Kraft lost only 42 points to him and Slovenian Anže Lanišek 118. The SP final will take place in Lahti and Planica. But now, for Kubacký, there are far more important things on the agenda than who puts where.