Ligety finally appears healthy

Two-time gold medalist took long road back to slopes.

DAEGWALLYEONG, SOUTH KOREA — Over the summer and into the fall, Ted Ligety’s long road back was starting to appear headed for an unforgiving dead end. Injuries and time away from the hill had taken their toll, and Ligety looked nothing like the skier who’d raced in three Olympics, who’d won two gold medals and posted 25 World Cup victories in his decorated career.

“He had missed so much training that his rhythm and timing was off,” said Sasha Rearick, head coach for the U.S. men’s alpine team. “I’m not going to lie. In August, his skiing was not in his top form, by far. There was a lot of steps we had to take.”

Ligety had missed most of the previous two seasons because of injuries: a knee in 2016 and his back in 2017. With little time to prepare for the Pyeongchang Games, Ligety and his coaches agreed he needed to take a step back, focusing on gentler runs. Rearick likened it to a weekend skier who needs to progress from easier green runs to expert-level blacks.

“That’s one of the reasons why Ted is such a champion: He knows that going back and getting those fundamental rhythms down are essential for his performance,” Rearick said.

Ligety slowly started to find his groove, and on Jan. 28, in his last race before the Winter Games, he reached the podium again in the giant slalom, the first time in more than two years. The thirdplace finish in Germany, he hopes, bodes well for these Olympics, where Ligety likely represents the U.S. men’s team’s best chance at a medal.

“It was good to be back in a spot where I feel like I can challenge for wins,” he said.

Ligety is suddenly the face of the U.S. men’s alpine team. These Pyeongchang Games mark the first Olympics since 1994 without Bode Miller, now retired and working as an NBC analyst. Travis Ganong, a silver medalist from the 2015 world championships, tore an anterior cruciate ligament last month, and Steven Nyman, a veteran of three Olympics, tore an ACL in a training run on Jan. 25, one day after he was named to the Pyeongchang-bound team.

Ligety is ranked No. 37 started skating as a 6-year- in the World Cup overall old in his hometown of Chistandings, the top-ranked cago. American male. At No. 45,

But he rebounded to earn The Americans have 12 men a world title in the 1,000 altogether on their Olympic in 2015. Then he struggled alpine team. Only Ligety has during the recent World Cup found the podium this year. season, finishing no higher Ligety looked like a dark than 12th in four 1,000 races. horse for much of the World

“It’s just getting back to Cup season. Coaches felt like that moment and having he started to find his rhythm that opportunity to exceed as the new year approached, on the highest levels of com- cracking the top 10 in two petitiveness at the Olym- World Cup stops in Decempics,” he said. “Everyone is ber. really motivated to go back Finally, in his last chance and compete at the highest before Pyeongchang, he level and try to bring home broke through. The thirdmedals. We’re definitely a place finish was a big relief. force.” “That’s a step in the right

In his own understated direction,” Ligety said Tuesway, so is Davis to his less day. “There’s still some experienced teammates. ground that needs to be

“He looks after t he gained to reach that next younger people like me and couple steps above that.” gives great advice. He’s not Ligety is 33 now, and selfish at all,” two-time Olym- no longer the giant slalom pian Emery Lehman said. racer with the target on his “He’ll go out of his way to back. Austria’s mighty Marhelp you out and having cel Hirscher is the favorite someone like him there is every time he sets foot on really good for the team. It the mountain. also shows how hard he’s “I feel like I’m skiing well,” willing to fight to bounce Ligety said. “Am I skiing at back from Sochi. Seeing that the highest level I ever have? kind of influences the rest It’s hard to say. . . . I feel like of us to keep our heads up.” I’m getting close to that.”

stare.’ ” verve as she strides into the

Under Armour Performance

Center at 5:54 a.m. on a Jan‘A symbol of power’ uary Tuesday. Evans’ return to the

Somehow, her energy only Olympic Games has come seems to increase with each a tad more slowly than she exercise. wanted. After her success

Evans, a college track and in Sochi, she set her sights field star, started dabbling in on attempting to qualify for bobsledding at the suggestion the heptathlon at the Sumof Mike Erb, her track coach mer Games in Rio de Janeiro at University of Illinois. Her in 2016. But in the summer rare combination of speed of 2014 she tore the anteand power had been seen in rior cruciate ligament in her Champaign, Ill., where she right knee while training and not only was an All-Amerifaced fears that her days as can in the shot put but also a world-class athlete were provided speed as part of permanently over. the Illini’s 400-meter relay As frustrated as Evans team. Those skills translate was with the timeline of perfectly into the brakeman’s her recovery and rehab, role in bobsledding, where in deep down she knew she’d essence Evans’ responsibil- become an Olympian again. ity is to be a rocket launcher, She pushed herself accordexploding off the start and ingly. Now that goal has been spending five or so seconds met, and Evans is chasing giving the sled the greatest gold in South Korea. possible acceleration to start “I’ve become a better the race. teammate,” she says. “I’m

Then she gracefully hops more determined. I under- in, flattens her back, puts her stand better how to fight head between her knees and through adversity.” lets Greubel Poser take over. Her hope is to pay that for

The duo’s natural chemward in as many ways as she istry was seen in Sochi and can. Now she’ll head to the continues to grow. top of the “hill” at the Alpen-

Says Greubel Poser: “I love sia Sliding Centre in Pyeong- the fierceness Aja always chang and go for gold. brings. She has a presence. ” “She’s come a long way,”

“I love Jamie,” Evans adds. her mom says. “I’m happy “She can just look me in the for her beyond belief. This eyes and I know she means is like a twice-in-a-lifetime business. I call it the ‘death experience.”