Kucera shrugs off gruesome ski crash
Source: Agencies |
December 5, 2009, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CANADA'S downhill world champion John Kucera described the gruesome crash that ended his Olympic dream as a "bit of a bummer" on Thursday but vowed to be back on his feet to cheer his teammates in Vancouver.
"Being able to compete at an Olympics in your home country -- that's always a pretty good bonus," said Kucera during a conference call from his hospital bed in Banff.
"It's a bit of a bummer.
"At the same time my focus has always been taking it one run at a time and I have a lot of goals around the World Cup and that hasn't changed for me."
Rated as a multiple medal threat in the Alpine events, Kucera's Vancouver Olympic hopes ended in a tangle of limbs and broken bones when he lost control at close to 100 kilometers per hour during last Sunday's season-opening World Cup super-G at Lake Louise in Alberta.
The 25-year-old skier cartwheeled wildly into the safety netting, suffering compound fractures of the tibia and fibula in his left leg, with one of the bones puncturing his calf.
He was airlifted from the course and transported to Banff hospital and underwent surgery on Sunday night.
"Right when I crashed and I was sliding on the hill and realized my leg was broken, I pretty much came to peace with it right there," said Kucera. "It sucks (being hurt) but that's the way ski racing is ... If I didn't want to get hurt, I'd be a badminton player."
"Being able to compete at an Olympics in your home country -- that's always a pretty good bonus," said Kucera during a conference call from his hospital bed in Banff.
"It's a bit of a bummer.
"At the same time my focus has always been taking it one run at a time and I have a lot of goals around the World Cup and that hasn't changed for me."
Rated as a multiple medal threat in the Alpine events, Kucera's Vancouver Olympic hopes ended in a tangle of limbs and broken bones when he lost control at close to 100 kilometers per hour during last Sunday's season-opening World Cup super-G at Lake Louise in Alberta.
The 25-year-old skier cartwheeled wildly into the safety netting, suffering compound fractures of the tibia and fibula in his left leg, with one of the bones puncturing his calf.
He was airlifted from the course and transported to Banff hospital and underwent surgery on Sunday night.
"Right when I crashed and I was sliding on the hill and realized my leg was broken, I pretty much came to peace with it right there," said Kucera. "It sucks (being hurt) but that's the way ski racing is ... If I didn't want to get hurt, I'd be a badminton player."
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