Worley tears ACL in Courchevel crash, out for season

By Published On: December 17th, 2013Comments Off on Worley tears ACL in Courchevel crash, out for season
Tessa Worley in St. Moritz on Saturday (GEPA/Harald Steiner)

Tessa Worley in St. Moritz on Saturday (GEPA/Harald Steiner)

What initially seemed to be just an unfortunate mistake with no dire consequences turned out to be Tessa Worley’s last World Cup run in the Olympic year on Tuesday in Courchevel. Worley got caught on the tails of her skis, crashing in the World Cup slalom race, and then slid through a sponsor banner. She initially rose to her feet quickly, but was later taken down the hill in a sled.

“Honestly, I’m very worried,” French women’s coach Anthony Sechaud told the press. ”It’s a big blow for her. The contrast between now and two days ago has been a shock.”

The French team confirmed that an MRI at a Lyon hospital revealed a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament as well as damage to the lateral meniscus in the right knee for the skier who won the World Cup giant slalom race just days earlier in St. Moritz. Worley has an appointment with a surgeon on Wednesday to determine the schedule for an operation. Given the timing of the injury, Worley will be unable to participate in the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi this February.

Finnish skier Tanja Poutiainen, who is on the comeback from an ACL tear last season, also crashed in Courchevel and was evaluated at the hospital, but no injuries were discovered. Maria Hoefl-Riesch’s younger sister, Susanne, however, re-injured her left knee in a first run crash and will undergo an MRI shortly.

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About the Author: C.J. Feehan

Christine J. Feehan is a USSA Level 300 coach who spent more than a decade training athletes at U.S. ski academies - Burke, Sugar Bowl, and Killington - before serving as Editor in Chief at Ski Racing Media through 2017. She worked for the FIS on the World Cup tour for three years and then settled into her current home in Oslo, Norway.