Travis Ganong out for season with torn knee ligament
Cody Downard Photography |
U.S. alpine skier Travis Ganong said Monday that he will miss the remainder of the season after tearing his ACL in a crash at the downhill in Bormio, Italy, on Thursday.
Ganong, of Squaw Valley, California, will miss the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in South Korea, where he would have been one of the American men’s best chances at medaling in the alpine skiing speed events.
“I’m obviously disappointed that the injury I sustained in Bormio means my season is over, especially as this is an Olympic year,” Ganong said. “But I know I will be back, and I will be back stronger and faster than ever. Now my focus is on recovery and on supporting my teammates at the Games in South Korea. We have an incredible team, right across all the disciplines U.S. Ski & Snowboard represents, and I’ll be cheering as loudly as any of our fans when our guys win medals in PyeongChang.”
Ganong, 29, has won two World Cup downhills in his career. He won a silver medal at the 2015 World Championships in Beaver Creek.
He finished fifth in the downhill in his first Olympics, in Sochi, in 2014.
“Travis was a medal threat in South Korea, for sure,” said Tiger Shaw, CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard. “He has the speed, talent and experience to win, and he’s tasted podium success already on the world stage, so not having him on our team in PyeongChang is clearly disappointing, but he will recover and he will have many opportunities to win in the future.