Chelsea Henitiuk had to watch the first Olympic qualifying event from afar but is hopeful to make her return to the World Cup moguls circuit this weekend in Calgary.
Henitiuk was injured in a mid-January training crash and was unable to take part in last Thursday’s (Jan. 17) World Cup stop at Lake Placid. Instead, she was at home in Whistler nursing a torn calf muscle.
She was expecting to find out Wednesday (Jan. 23) from Canadian team doctors if she’d be cleared to compete in Calgary, which hosts the next World Cup and Sochi qualifier on Saturday (Jan. 26).
“It was definitely a little scary because I thought I had done something worse … but things are getting back to normal now,” said Henitiuk. “It wasn’t the best timing, but at least it happened early enough in the camp that I’m hoping I’ll only have missed Lake Placid.”
The Spruce Grove, Alta., product said she’s had one day back on snow in Whistler and was feeling pretty good after skiing some groomed runs.
If she does not ski this weekend in Calgary, she is expected to be back in time for the following week’s event in Deer Valley, another event in which Canadians can earn a result towards early Olympic qualifying.
When she returns to the circuit, she’ll be looking to build off of top-10 finishes in each of the first two World Cups of the season, a pair of duals events in Europe before Christmas.
