August 24/11 15:12 pm - Steve Smith Out of Worlds

Posted by Editor on 08/24/11
 

Canada's number one downhiller, Steve Smith (Devinci), will not be able to compete at next week's world championships, after suffering a broken tibula from his crash in training at the World Cup final in Val di Sole, Italy, last weekend.  The break also caused his fibula to separate, and he will be having surgery to reconnect everything.

Smith had qualified second for the Final, only to crash in training just before the race, damaging his left ankle and knee. At the time, it was not known whether this was just soft tissue damage or something more serious - subsequent examination after swelling reduced has provided the answer, and has cut short Smith's stellar season (three World Cup podiums, fifth overall and top-10 in all six World Cups until his accident). Smith won a silver medal at last year's world championships in Mont Ste Anne.