February 28/18 7:33 am - Ritter to Race at Worlds Despite Clavicle Injury

Posted by Editoress on 02/28/18
 

Canadian sprinter Stefan Ritter will be racing injured at the Track World Championships this week in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.  Last June, Ritter had a bad crash, sustaining a concussion and broken clavicle, among other injuries.  He had a plate put in for the broken clavicle.  He was cleared for competition late in the year and competed at the final round of the World Cup last month, winning a silver medal in the Keirin and finishing ninth in the Sprint (after qualifying fourth).  He will compete in the Sprint and 1000m Time Trial at the world championships.

However, we have learned, the plate screwed onto Ritter's clavicle has broken, so the two ends of the clavicle fracture are not supported.  The damage did not happen in a crash, and it is suspected it happened during training; possibly when weight training.

Ritter will still compete at the Worlds and the Commonwealth Games - medical staff have given clearance and say that it is safe for him to race.  He is getting strapped up each session before riding.  The plan is he will get surgery to repair the damage after the Commonwealth Games.