Guay to undergo knee surgery and miss start of season

Erik Guay in the finish of the 2014 Kvitfjell super G. GEPA/Thomas Bachun

As first reported by LaPresse.ca, Canadian Erik Guay will be undergoing an additional surgery on his left knee on June 25. The Canadian speed specialist struggled lately to keep pace in training for more than a few consecutive days and decided to get the aching knee checked. The MRI unfortunately showed that the injury on the head of the femoral bone has increased from 8 to 14mm.

The only hope for Guay to recover completely is to undergo a complete operation and for that the expected recovery time is five months. This means he will be missing the entire summer training and the beginning of the next season.

At best, he could be able to race again in Val Gardena, in December, but it is more realistic to think of a return in time for the classics in January. At worst, it will mark his retirement and be the end of a brilliant career of 12 seasons, marked by 21 World Cup podiums, a crystal globe in super G in 2010 and a downhill World Championships title in 2011.

Slowed by knee and back injuries for many years, Guay knows that the possibility of retirement is more real than ever.

“We sometimes see injuries that you cannot recover from,” Guay told LaPresse.ca. “These are realities. I’m a guy who watches it from all angles. I see that I may have surgery and not be ready this year. It could continue to bug me, and I don’t go back to where I was before. There is always this chance. But I’m still motivated. I think I still have a lot of time in front of me.”

For the entirety of his World Cup career, Guay has been competed on Atomic equipment. However, he was in the process of finalizing a new contract with HEAD before he decided to move forward on the surgery. The contract is yet to be signed as is his renewal with long-time sponsor Red Bull.

“I try to keep my morale high. It’s easy with the kids, I think about other things. I’m pretty busy at home. But … it is not super easy either. I love skiing, I love the competition. I want to keep it simple,” Guay concluded.

Release courtesy of FIS