John Kucera's injury hurts ski team's medal hopes at Olympic Games

By Jim Morris (CP) – 16 hours ago
John Kucera's season-ending injury means one of Canada's best threats to win multiple medals won't be competing at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Kucera's leg injury, suffered in the first super-giant slalom race of the World Cup season, will also make it more difficult for Alpine Canada to reach its goal of winning at least three medals at the Vancouver Games.
"It's a huge blow," Max Gartner, Alpine Canada's chief athletics officer, said Monday in a telephone interview from Lake Louise, Alta. "He's not only a threat in downhill, but also in super-G and giant slalom.
"As far as the Olympics go, there was a couple of shots he had and they are now gone."
Kucera, the reigning world downhill champion, underwent surgery Sunday night after fracturing the tibia and fibula in his left leg in a race at Lake Louise. Dr. Christopher Irving, Alpine Canada's medical director, said in a release that the 25-year-old from Calgary won't compete at the Olympics or ski this season.
Manuel Osborne-Paradis of North Vancouver, B.C., won Sunday's race, while Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., placed fourth and Robbie Dixon of North Vancouver was fifth.
Gartner said the results show the depth of the Canadian program.
"We figure we have about 10 athletes that have medal potential," Gartner said. "We don't have too many with multiple events. These chances are less now. It means the people who are contenders have to convert to reach our goal.
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