Around the World
Calgary ski jumper nearly back in action after August knee surgery put Olympic participation in doubt
Pretorius eyes return to World Cup in late December.
You could make the argument that Alexandra Pretorius was the best female ski jumper in the world for a brief time this past summer.
Of course, competitors such as dominant American Sarah Hendrickson and nine-time World Cup winner Sara Takanashi of Japan probably have a greater stake to that distinction based on big-time resumes.
But when Pretorius, who will turn 18 a month before the Sochi Olympics, won the opening Grand Prix circuit event in Hintzergarten, Germany last July, beating Takanashi and promising Slovenian Katja Pozun, she announced herself as an Olympic medal threat.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Landing awkwardly on a training jump in Courchevel, France on Aug. 11, Pretorius blew out her knee. Her ACL completely tore and she wound up having surgery back in Canada on Aug. 21.
As fate would have it, Hendrickson — the reigning world champion and 13-time World Cup winner — tore her ACL just 10 days after Pretorius did.
But while the American star is hoping to return just in time for the Olympics, Pretorius is almost ready to jump again.
The Calgarian has ridden the outrun of the normal hill at Canada Olympic Park several times this week with an eye on making her first jump as early as Thursday. While she won’t participate in the World Cup opener in Lillehammer, Norway next weekend — a late December World Cup return is more realistic — her participation in Sochi is becoming increasingly likely.
“I definitely think it’s possible,” said Pretorius, while showing off her ‘smiley face’ scar on the eve of resuming dryland training late last month. “The rate my knee is progressing right now, it’s going really well and I’m really happy with how strong it’s getting and how little pain I feel, so I’m really confident that by December I’ll be able to jump again.”
Throughout the process of rebuilding her knee, Pretorius stayed positive, which was tough initially. She was the defending champion at Courchevel — her landmark 2012 Grand Prix gold there was the first win in a major international competition by a Canadian ski jumper in 29 years. Then, the injury.
“It was just unlucky, I guess,” she shrugged. “Just when I landed, it kind of popped. So I didn’t actually fall.
“It was disappointing because it was right before the competition ... it was disappointing to go home early, so I just kind of had to push through that and get over it,” she added. “After the surgery, everything was going to go so much better. It was positive.”
“I believe she will be ready to go (for Sochi),” added Canadian head coach Gregor Linsig. “She’s progressing amazingly and doing all the physio she can.
“We expect her 100 per cent back.”
Source: Calgary Herald
You could make the argument that Alexandra Pretorius was the best female ski jumper in the world for a brief time this past summer.
Of course, competitors such as dominant American Sarah Hendrickson and nine-time World Cup winner Sara Takanashi of Japan probably have a greater stake to that distinction based on big-time resumes.
But when Pretorius, who will turn 18 a month before the Sochi Olympics, won the opening Grand Prix circuit event in Hintzergarten, Germany last July, beating Takanashi and promising Slovenian Katja Pozun, she announced herself as an Olympic medal threat.
Then the unthinkable happened.
Landing awkwardly on a training jump in Courchevel, France on Aug. 11, Pretorius blew out her knee. Her ACL completely tore and she wound up having surgery back in Canada on Aug. 21.
As fate would have it, Hendrickson — the reigning world champion and 13-time World Cup winner — tore her ACL just 10 days after Pretorius did.
But while the American star is hoping to return just in time for the Olympics, Pretorius is almost ready to jump again.
The Calgarian has ridden the outrun of the normal hill at Canada Olympic Park several times this week with an eye on making her first jump as early as Thursday. While she won’t participate in the World Cup opener in Lillehammer, Norway next weekend — a late December World Cup return is more realistic — her participation in Sochi is becoming increasingly likely.
“I definitely think it’s possible,” said Pretorius, while showing off her ‘smiley face’ scar on the eve of resuming dryland training late last month. “The rate my knee is progressing right now, it’s going really well and I’m really happy with how strong it’s getting and how little pain I feel, so I’m really confident that by December I’ll be able to jump again.”
On Tuesday, she tweeted a picture of herself in full gear, saying, “3 months post surgery and I’m sliding the landing hill! Thanks to my physios and everyone who helped me get here!”
Throughout the process of rebuilding her knee, Pretorius stayed positive, which was tough initially. She was the defending champion at Courchevel — her landmark 2012 Grand Prix gold there was the first win in a major international competition by a Canadian ski jumper in 29 years. Then, the injury.
“It was just unlucky, I guess,” she shrugged. “Just when I landed, it kind of popped. So I didn’t actually fall.
“It was disappointing because it was right before the competition ... it was disappointing to go home early, so I just kind of had to push through that and get over it,” she added. “After the surgery, everything was going to go so much better. It was positive.”
“I believe she will be ready to go (for Sochi),” added Canadian head coach Gregor Linsig. “She’s progressing amazingly and doing all the physio she can.
“We expect her 100 per cent back.”
Source: Calgary Herald
