Calgary (AB), Canada – Reigning ski cross world champion and X Games gold medalist Kelsey Serwa will sit out the rest of the 2011-12 World Cup season after rupturing the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a race last week in Alpe d’Huez, France.
The 22-year-old from Kelowna, British Columbia, won the first two World Cup races of the season and was leading the overall standings when she landed awkwardly during the women’s final in Alpe d’Huez on Jan. 11. Serwa returned to Canada earlier this week and test results confirmed she has an ACL rupture, which will require surgery.
“I stepped on the pole of the girl in front of me before a jump,” explained Serwa. “I caught my leg and it got me all twisted and rotated – I was flying through the air. I landed on my feet but I was still rotating.
“I’m done for the year.”
Serwa has been a revelation since switching to ski cross from alpine in 2008. She’s become one of the sport’s biggest stars and looked like she had a shot at winning her first Crystal Globe after making a superb start to the current World Cup season.
“I’ll have to save it for another year,” Serwa said of the battle for the overall World Cup title. “I’m just going to rest and recover, try to keep my muscle (strength) and stay in a positive mindset. You hear of so many examples of people coming back before they are ready. I will see where I am at the start of next season.”
Serwa showed great courage to win world championship gold in 2011, only days after injuring her back en route to winning X Games gold. Although her back bothered her towards the end of last season, the ACL tear is the first serious injury of Serwa’s career. A date has not yet been set for surgery.
“I’ve just been thinking that of all the years you could get injured, this isn’t a bad year to do it,” said Serwa of the fact that there’s no world championships or Olympic Games this season. “I’ve gone this long without having any major injuries.”
Eric Archer, head coach of the Canadian ski cross team, said injuries are an unfortunate reality of the sport.
“There’s no doubt she would have been in the mix at the end of the season (for the overall) and she knows that,” Archer said. “Kelsey’s crash was something that just happened. When she hit the ground, that’s when the injury happened.
“She’s got a positive attitude and she will do what she needs to do to get back for next season.”
Canadian alpine racer Georgia Simmerling, of West Vancouver, British Columbia, is also currently out with a knee injury, which is described as “day to day.” She is hoping to return to competition this season, possibly as soon as the Blue Mountain, Ontario, World Cup stop, which takes place Feb. 2-3.