Freeskier Kevin Rolland to miss Winter X Games Tignes 2012 due to injury
The two-time Winter X Games Tignes Ski SuperPipe Champion Kevin Rolland from France will be unable to defend his title this year following an injury sustained on Thursday, March 1.
The 22-year-old freestyle skier was training in the Meribel DC Area 43 park to warm up for the latest edition of the European version of the Winter X Games. Executing a double flat spin at the top of the wall, he failed to make a clean landing and ended
up crashing.
A MRI scan of the injury on Friday revealed a tear in his left ACL, putting him out of action for the season. This also meant that he was not going to be able to collect his third consecutive gold in the Ski SuperPipe gold at Tignes this month.
“I decided to stay here because of the jet lag, and I was thinking I don't need competition, I need training before Euro X,” Rolland stated. “I landed a double flat spin at the top of the wall, and I was a little bit twisted, like my legs were on the right
side and my body was a little on the left. So on the transition, I don't know what happened, but my knee just twisted. I didn't fall; I landed on my feet, so I didn't understand why my knee twisted. That was it.”
He admitted that he was really disappointed as his fans were hoping to see him compete at Winter X Games Tignes 2012. He also conceded that he was looking forward to putting on a strong performance and avenging an unsuccessful campaign at Winter X Games
in Aspen earlier this year, where he not only lost the gold medal for the first time in three years, but was even pushed off the podium by his rivals.
However, he accepted that he was not going to be able to take any revenge or collect any medals this year due to his unfortunate injury and would instead focus on coming back strongly next year.
Rolland will be undergoing a surgery soon to get his ACL repaired and is expected to stay out of action for at least six months.
Winter X Games Tignes 2012 is scheduled to get underway from March 14 – 16.
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