AMERICAN SKIER'S OLYMPICS DREAMS ARE SHATTERED BY DEVASTATING INJURY WITH TWO MONTHS TO GO
Team USA skier Lauren Macuga will not compete at the Winter Olympics in February after suffering a devastating knee injury.
Macuga, touted as one of the American athletes to watch in Milan, was training in Colorado last week when her ski 'caught weird' during a run.
The 23-year-old said she felt pain in her knee but it only lasted a moment. Then a disastrous diagnosis came.
'I didn't actually know where the ACL even was, so I thought I was OK,' said Macuga, who will have surgery next week.
But when she began walking, the knee became unsteady and she instantly knew there was a problem.
'It was then I was like, "Oh, something's wrong, but I don't know what,"' Macuga added.
'I was able to ski down and so you hold on to hope. I got there and they're like, "Yeah, it (ACL) is gone." I was like, "Oh, awesome".'
There was plenty of buzz around Macuga after she secured four top-five finishes in last season's World Cup and won a bronze medal at the World Championships.
Despite the gut-wrenching injury, Macuga admits she may still go out to Italy to cheer on her fellow Americans.
'It would be nice to go out there and support my team,' said Macuga, who will rehab after surgery in Park City, Utah. 'Just be there for them.'
Macuga has been overwhelmed by the amount of support she's received since her injury. She just finished responding to all the well-wishers.
'It’s nice to know that people are excited for me to come back,' Macuga said. 'I’m excited. I can’t wait.'
Still, it's going to be difficult watching races this season.
'I was feeling very good coming into this, like the strongest I’ve ever been,' Macuga said.
'Skiing great. So it's a bummer, but I mean in this sport it happens. It’s going to suck through the season watching everyone race and everything but what are you going to do?'
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