The victim of bad luck during a training run before the start of the season, Lewis Irving will not be able to resume action on Wednesday at the World Cup jumping presented at the Relay.
Top Canadian on the World Cup circuit last year with three podiums and a 6th place overall, Irving was eagerly awaiting the moment to perform in front of his loved ones at home for the first time in his career, but he will have to recover.
“It’s a heartbreak not to jump in Relay,” said Irving, “but I’m already qualified for the Games and there was no point in rushing my return and trying to speed up my recovery. I can only hope that Le Relais will feature another World Cup stop next year. “
Irving injured his left knee the day before the inaugural World Cup of the season in Ruka, Finland, which took place on December 2 during a speed test. The 2018 Olympian in Pyeongchang had a good scare when he hit the fence surrounding the scaffolding where the tower used to film the jumps was located.
Archive photo
Lewis irving
More fear than harm
“I heard the pop and immediately thought my season was over,” he said. I was going down to 65 km / h and I braked suddenly. My ligament did not like. I thought I had torn my anterior cruciate ligament, but the physiotherapist (Bastien Caron) who quickly arrived on the scene told me to calm down. He thought the injury might be less serious than I feared and Doctor Fontaine’s ultrasound confirmed he was right. The great mobility in my knee helped me. “
Instead, Irving stretched the collateral ligament. He’s started a rehabilitation program and plans to start jumping again next week after returning to skiing in the last few days. “I play an extreme sport and that’s the kind of thing that can happen, but I’m lucky I got injured early in the season,” he explained. It allows me to follow a smart plan to return to my peak in February for the Games. “
“The two weeks of training on snow that I did in Finland before getting injured and the three weeks of camp that we will do at the Relay before leaving for China will be enough to get back to my top form,” continues Irving. My physical trainer (Jonathan Pelletier-Ouellet) is one of the best to allow an athlete to come back after an injury, and I have a lot, a lot of confidence in him. “
“Additional motivation”
Irving, however, is eager to take over.
“I’m like a little dog on a leash,” he illustrated. I start to pull a lot on the leash. Seeing everyone jumping turns me on even more. This is an additional motivation. “
Irving could have started the last World Cup of the season in Deer Valley on January 12, but the Canadian team preferred to play it safe due to COVID-19.
Marion Thénault in a good state of mind
Marion Thénault believes in her chances of climbing on the podium of the World Cup in aerials which takes place on Wednesday at the Relais.
A rookie par excellence on the World Cup circuit last year, notably by virtue of her first career victory, Thénault believes she is in a good position.
“The podium is one hundred percent in my sights and it’s realistic to believe in my chances of getting back on the podium,” said the Sherbrooke native jumper who finished in 5e position and in 4e position in the last two World Cup stages in Finland after a more difficult start to the campaign. The caliber on the circuit is higher and I have had my best career scores in my last two competitions. “
Lack of confidence
Building on her success from last year, Thénault had high expectations this year, but she ran into trouble during the first two World Cup stages played on December 2 and 3 in Ruka.
“I didn’t jump well the first weekend,” she said of her 11e and 23e positions. My training was not up to my expectations. Confidence was not there. I learned lessons. I changed my mindset and it really showed. “
Like everyone else, Thénault is disappointed not to be able to perform in front of her relatives, but she takes comfort in the idea that the World Cup has not been canceled. “There are a lot of people close to me who have never seen me jump and it’s disappointing that they can’t be there to see me, but I’m glad we can at least hold the competition,” he said. she pointed out. Unlike the men, where some of the top jumpers aren’t present, the women’s field is quite full. “
Big names missing
Reigning World Cup champion and still very dominant this year as shown by his four victories in as many events, Maxim Burov will be conspicuous by his absence, just like his compatriots who are among the best on the field. There are three Russians among the top 10 in the cumulative ranking.
The Russian vaccine Sputnik V is not recognized by the Canadian authorities, which explains their absence. The Belarusians also ignored the event on Canadian soil. When the Chinese vaccine they are using was finally cleared by Canada, it was too late to get their entry visas on time.