Guay’s bronze all about the future
Erik Guay will go down in the record books as Canada’s most decorated alpine skier. His resume sparkles with 23 World Cup podiums, the 2011 world downhill title and the 2010 Crystal Globe in super- G.
But the 2015/16 World Cup season turned into a proverbial mogul field for the Canadian speed racer with plenty of bumps and little in the way of results. Coming off a knee injury, the year looked pretty much like a lost cause until Wednesday when he soared to bronze in the World Cup downhill final in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
“To be able to finish on the podium in the last race of the year is a big relief,” Guay said Wednesday via conference call. “I think it’s also a motivation for the summer and next season as well.”
At 34, the Mont Tremblant, Que., native realizes his days as an elite skier are likely numbered, especially with a medical chart thicker than the Montreal phone book.
But he’s committed to racing next year, with an eye to winning a medal at the world championships in St. Moritz and re- establishing himself as a frequent medallist on the World Cup circuit.
“I’m not here at my age just looking to finish in the top-30 or top-15,” he said. “For me, it’s to come out here to be on the podium and be on the podium consistently. I give myself a little leeway this year because there were quite a few changes coming back from injury — new coaches, new skis, that sort of thing. So I don’t want to wrap it up and call it a career too early. But definitely I’m here for the podium.”
On Wednesday, Switzerland’s Beat Feuz stopped the clock at one minute, 40.44 seconds to win gold. American Steve Nyman finished 0.08 seconds back for silver. Guay was 0.54 seconds behind the winning time.
“It’s fun, and it’s motivating and it definitely makes it worthwhile,” Guay said of his successful finale. “I think it shows I’m still competitive on the World Cup scene.”
In the big picture, the only void on Guay’s laundry list of accomplishments is an Olympic medal. The 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, loom large, but the veteran refuses to look beyond next season.
“The Olympics are down the line, and a lot can happen in two years,” he said. “If I have another serious injury, that would be it for me. I also have a family at home that I have to take care of, and I want to be able to play sports with them as they’re growing up … and if I have a season when I’m not competitive and consistently not where I want to be, that would be the end of it as well.”
At the time, a senior Calgary police officer could only marvel at how the rider of a motorcycle that crashed into a Toyota Corolla — with enough force to knock the compact vehicle over on its side — survived to tell the tale. In the hours that followed, word trickled out that Denny Morrison, a four-time Olympic medallist, was riding the motorcycle. And not many people believed him when he pledged, via press release upon regaining consciousness, a swift return to competitive speedskating.
But 10 months later, Morrison is set to race in Thursday’s Canada Cup at Calgary’s Olympic Oval.
“It’s been a tough, long road back,” said Morrison, who had a charge of failing to yield for a yellow light dropped based on multiple witness statements. “I have the team, my family, all my close friends and support around me to thank for getting me back feeling this confident and good to race.”
Morrison, 30, broke his femur, punctured his lung, ruptured his kidneys and bruised his heart in the crash. He also suffered a concussion, tore a knee ligament and chipped his spine.
“The patience factor was mind- boggling at first,” he said. “As an athlete, you want to see results the same day or as soon as possible.”
And yet here he is, ready to skate at top speed with a titanium rod in his leg.
“I don’t expect my races to be world-record performances. But I think they’ll be within that 90 per cent margin.”
For a world-class racer like Morrison, a 90 per cent margin is likely good enough for the win.