Erik Guay to make comeback at Lake Louise World Cup

Last season was a first for Erik Guay​.

The world champion alpine skier missed an entire year of competition as a pair of knee surgeries kept him sidelined, something he hadn't experienced since joining the circuit in 2003.

But Guay is officially back to competition this week, racing at the FIS World Cup stop in Lake Louise, Alta. Believe it or not, there are no nerves.

"I'm more excited than anything," Guay told CBC Sports. "I have a lot of pent-up frustrations and motivations so I'm looking forward to getting out there."

Guay skied more this summer than in past off-seasons and stayed competitive in training by racing against Norwegians, the Swiss and his fellow Canadians.

"If he is able to ski in a similar way and perform what I saw on [training] days, I'm very positive and confident that things will work [well,]" said Burkhard Schaffer, speed head coach for Alpine Canada.

With the World Cup speed events set to start, questions are already swirling about Guay's chances for a Canadian medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. It's something not far from Canada's most decorated skier.

The 34-year-old has always had three motivations, two of which he's achieved: winning a World Cup crystal globe (in 2010 for super-G) and being world champion (in 2011 for downhill.) The final win of his metaphorical trilogy would be an Olympic medal.

In the first three occasions Guay had the chance to medal at the Olympics, things never seemed to go his way. He had a crash just a month before Torino 2006, and finished fifth in both super-G and downhill by very small margins at Vancouver 2010. But Guay calls the 2014 Winter Games his most frustrating disappointment.

"Sochi was even more frustrating I would say because I had a great start to the season," he said. "I had three podiums, and I was heading into the Olympics very motivated. I knew I was one of the contenders. And then I had a good crash the month before.

"Hindsight is always 20-20. It's easy [for me] to look back and say, 'You know what, I should have just called it a season and got my knee taken care of, got the surgery. I would have been able to compete last year.' But that's not the way it is." He finished 10th in the downhill.

Pyeongchang 2018 will mark his fourth and potentially final chance at winning an Olympic medal. But heading to Lake Louise, Guay is taking things one race at a time. He knows other athletes have improved in the year he's been away, but says he's worked with a sports psychologist for the last few years and is doing well physically.

"I've got a lot of catching up to do. I don't think it's realistic to come into the first race and win it," he said. "So we'll see where I stand at those first races and try to build from there."

And while Guay plans to take things slow, Pyeongchang isn't far from his mind.

"The trifecta would really be to bring back a medal for Canada from the Olympics," he said.

"When you're dealing with hundreths [of a second], sometimes you're on the wrong side. I really hope in South Korea I'll be on the right side."