When Emil Johansson slid down the slope at the 2025 Red Bull Rampage, the initial reaction was relief. He fell in what many would consider a ‘no-fall’ zone and just barely managed to avoid falling over a massive cliff.
At the time, the diagnosis sounded almost merciful: a dislocated hip.
More than four months later, Johansson has revealed that the reality is far more serious.
“Today, it has been more than 4 months since my accident in Utah and I feel like it is time for me to break my radio silence regarding everything,” Johansson wrote in a detailed update. “I have been trying to get my words together for so long.”
A rare and devastating injury
Johansson underwent emergency surgery the day after Rampage . Then he spent six weeks on crutches. But when he began walking again, something wasn’t right.
New scans revealed a severe injury rarely seen even in elite sport.
“New scans revealed a fully torn and retracted iliopsoas muscle — the primary hip flexor and one very important muscle for everything I do as an athlete.”
The iliopsoas is used for lifting the knee, walking, running and climbing stairs. For an athlete like Johansson, the damage was potentially career-altering.
In late December, he had a second operation to reattach the muscle.
“The surgery went well and they managed to relocate the muscle to the femur after drilling a hole through my femur to anchor it.”
Pain, setbacks and uncertainty
Recovery proved brutally difficult.
“The weeks after were the toughest I’ve faced. Wearing a hip brace 24/7. Severe nerve pain. Loss of quad function. Nights without sleep.”
A follow-up MRI delivered another blow. The repair had failed.
“The new MRI showed that the repair of my fully torn muscle did not stand the test of time and had retracted again at some point after the surgery.”
Further attempts to repair it are no longer considered safe.
“To go in again to try to repair the torn muscle is no longer an option, as the risk of permanent nerve damage is too high.”
Johansson said the goal shifted from restoring elite performance to preserving long-term mobility and quality of life.
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Fighting for basic function
Ten weeks after the second surgery, progress is slow and uncertain.
“I have now progressed to a level where I can walk around without crutches on flat ground relatively ok,” he wrote. “But progress is measured in small steps.”
The most troubling…
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