Canadian skiing star Valérie Grenier needs multiple surgeries after crash in super-G
28-year-old details numerous injuries in social post
Canadian skiing star Valérie Grenier says she'll need multiple surgeries after a serious crash during a World Cup super-G race Sunday in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
While appearing to correct her trajectory to avoid a gate, Grenier lost an edge and was propelled into the air before falling heavily onto the track. She was taken off the course by toboggan after receiving lengthy medical treatment.
In a social media post from Innsbruck, Austria, she says she sustained a fractured humerus, a torn anterior cruciate ligament and partial medial collateral ligament tear.
The 28-year-old from St. Isidore, Ont., adds she's scheduled for shoulder surgery in Innsbruck on Wednesday before likely heading home for knee surgery next week.
The crash on Sunday came two days after she finished in a three-way tie for third to pick up her fourth career World Cup medal and first in downhill. She won giant slalom gold in Kranjska Gora, Slovenia, for the second win of her career on Jan. 6.
Sunday's incident conjured memories of Grenier's horrific crash in February 2019 during a training run at the alpine world championships in Åre, Sweden, she broke her right leg in four places and her right ankle travelling about 130 kilometres per hour.
Grenier needed a second surgery five months later when the bone wasn't healing properly.
She was back on skis Oct. 17, 2020 following multiple surgeries, physiotherapy and COVID-19, finishing 25th in GS in Sölden, Austria.
WATCH | Grenier crashes in Sunday's super-G in Italy:
The mental challenges forced Grenier to abandon thoughts of downhill or super-G and shift to GS, a more technical and slower discipline.
She finished last season with giant slalom bronze in Soldeu, Andorra, seventh in the discipline standings and 25th overall.
Grenier, who has eventually worked her way back to the speed races of super-G and downhill, opened the 2023-24 campaign in October placing seventh in GS in Soelden, Austria.
She was fifth in the event a month later in Killington, Vt., and sixth a week later on home snow at Mont-Tremblant, Que.
Cassidy Gray of Invermere, B.C.. was 29th among 35 finishers on Sunday in 1:24.21.
WATCH | Grenier suffers mental block upon return from injury:
American star Mikaela Shiffrin also crashed but avoided major injury Friday while Olympic downhill champion Corinne Suter and Swiss teammate Joana Haehlen had season-ending injuries over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Olympic champion Lara Gut-Behrami is halfway to Lindsey Vonn's Cortina record after claiming Sunday's race for her sixth career victory on the Olympia delle Tofane course.
Too bad the 32-year-old Gut-Behrami can't say for sure yet whether she'll still be competing in two years at the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
In a race when many of the top favourites struggled with a tricky course-set, Gut-Behrami edged Stephanie Venier, Friday's downhill winner, by 0.21 seconds, posting a time of 1:20.75. Romane Miradoli finished third in 1:21.16.
WATCH | Gut-Behrami secures super-G victory on Sunday:
"I have very good memories here," said Gut-Behrami, who has a home in northern Italy. "With all the crashes, really I just tried not to take any risk and just tried to keep in it to the finish. … When you're winning it's even better because your skiing is there and it's solid."
Asked if she will be back at Cortina next year, Gut-Behrami responded only, "We'll see."
A day earlier, Gut-Behrami said she planned to compete through next season's world championships in Saalbach, Austria.
It was Gut-Behrami's fourth World Cup win in Cortina, to go with her two gold medals at the 2021 world championships at the Italian resort.
Vonn won 12 World Cup races in Cortina — six downhills and six super-Gs.
Gut-Behrami, who earned her 41st World Cup victory, moved within 195 points of Shiffrin in the overall standings, with the American still out of action at least through Tuesday.
With files from CBC Sports & Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press
