Aussie teen skier dealt another cruel Olympics blow
Melissa Woods |
Competing at the Winter Olympics just two months after rupturing her ACL, Australian freeskier Daisy Thomas has been ruled out of her first event after crashing at training.
Set to make her Olympics debut in the qualifying round of the women’s slopestyle at Livigno’s Snow Park on Saturday morning (2030 AEDT), the 18-year-old will miss the event after she re-injured the same knee
She has also qualified for the women’s freeski big air event which begins on February 16 and remains hopeful of taking part.
The Sydneysider fell on the final jump of training and was taken off on a stretcher from the course on Friday, posting later in the day she’d made the call to withdraw.
“I’ve made the decision along with my medical and support team to pull from Slopestyle tomorrow in order to reset, refocus and channel my energy into Big Air,” Thomas posted on Instagram.
“I am doing all good and am keen to get training for Big Air.”
The Australian Olympic team earlier issued a statement that Thomas was undergoing an MRI but confirmed she had been cleared to compete despite the major injury suffered last November.
“Thomas arrived in Livigno after having undergone a comprehensive rehabilitation and testing process in order to compete without an ACL,” a statement from the Australian Olympic team said.
Despite the setback Thomas is still on track to join alpine great Lindsey Vonn in competing in Milan-Cortina without an ACL.
Vonn revealed this week she ruptured her ACL in a crash in the last event before her fifth Olympics, but the American veteran completed training on Friday and will line up in the blue riband women’s downhill.
Thomas had crashed in a World Cup freeski big air event in China in late November and the initial prognosis was that the injury would rule her out of making an Olympics debut.
She was on track for a medal in the Secret Garden competition, qualifying second for the finals.
Despite the seriousness of the injury, Thomas refused to give up on her Olympic dream and was back competing 47 days later at the Laax Open in Switzerland.
The young daredevil said this week she wasn’t bothered by the injury.
“I did my ACL about a month-and-a-half ago, so I’m just skiing without an ACL at the minute,” Thomas said after a practice run in Livigno on Thursday.
“I’m strong enough, I’m capable enough, and I’ve got my tricks back, so I’m able to do it and I don’t really notice it at all.
“The goal still remains the same – I’d love to get an Olympic medal.”
Thomas is the second Australian athlete in danger of missing competition following aerialist Laura Peel, who suffered a knee injury in training.
The 36-year-old is aiming to participate in her fourth Olympic Games and finally claim a medal after finishing fifth at Beijing 2022.
Team chef de mission Alisa Camplin said Peel wasn’t ready to make a call with her event not until February 17.
“She’s working with her coaches and physios and sports psychologists trying to work out what is the plan for every single day. She’s still got many days until her competition,” Camplin said in Livigno, in the Italian alps.
“I think sometimes we forget that every athlete’s journey into the Olympics is a total rollercoaster and there’s so many ups and downs.
“There’s actually no perfect preparation. You’ve just got to roll with what happens and make your best decisions so that you bring what you can when you get to the start gate.”
AAP
