Eddie Hicks is encouraged and looking forward to returning to the World Cup moguls circuit after receiving good news from doctors on Dec. 19.
Hicks, who dislocated his shoulder and cracked his humerus in a training crash prior to the World Cup dual moguls event at Ruka, Finland, learned he'll be able to return before the end of the winter, aiming to come back for the Olympic test event in Sochi in mid-February.
The Whistler resident said doctors' fears his broken bone had been displaced were quelled upon returning to Canada for another opinion. A further injury to his ankle is just a sprain that should heal quickly.
"I'm definitely still pretty sore, but I'm feeling a lot better than I was a few days ago," he said last Thursday (Dec. 20).
Hicks said he expects to be skiing again when the World Cup makes its North American swing in January, which includes three Olympic qualifying events, but not quite ready to compete.
"I don't think I'll be at the level I'll need to be to ski at, so I feel like Russia is more what I'm shooting for," he said. "We'll see … but if I could be back for Russia, I'd be really happy with that."
Hicks wound up in a vulnerable position and tumbled down the hill between jumps at Ruka just two days before the World Cup season was set to kick off.
"It's one of those things you see almost every day on the course, where somebody kind of hooks an edge or gets rocked forward, and usually they can save it. But every now and then you see somebody go over the bars. I just went shoulder-first into a mogul," said Hicks, who is remaining optimistic about the setback despite battling injuries most of last year, too. "I've had … nagging injuries, but nothing like a major, physical trauma for a long time, so at this point … I'd still say I've had less than my fair share of injuries."
Fellow Whistler resident and national moguls team member Chelsea Henitiuk was in action for another World Cup duals event at Kreischberg, Austria on Saturday (Dec. 22) and finished ninth.
