Colorado University Athletics
X-Games Injuries Make Former CU Students No Sure Thing
ASPEN, Colo. - Daron Rahlves and Casey Puckett are supposed to be a couple of feel-good Olympic stories - two 30-something veterans heading back to the games to give it one more shot in the crazy new freestyle sport of ski cross.
Daron Rahlves took a nasty tumble in a quarterfinal race Sunday and had to be transported to the hospital, where his dislocated right hip was popped back into place. That came two days after Casey Puckett, skiing alone in a less-harrowing qualifying run, hit a bump awkwardly and aggravated his already injured shoulder.
The duo, both alumni of the University of Colorado and coached by another alumnus, Tyler Shepherd, has had a rough week at the Winter X Games and it's no sure thing either man will make it to Vancouver.
Neither has been declared out for the Olympic debut of ski cross, set for Feb. 21 at Cypress Mountain. Both, however, leave the Winter X Games in worse shape than they came.
Rahlves, ironically, was quoted in a story on NPR less than a week ago about the dangerous nature of ski cross. "You're getting beat up. There isn't one event that goes by that somebody doesn't get injured pretty bad, because you're not always in control. It's the hardest thing about this sport."
Puckett, hoping to compete at his fifth Olympics, said his injury should set back his recovery process at least a few days; he separated his shoulder in a race Jan. 13.
Rahlves, slated for his fourth Olympics, was putting pressure on the hip only hours after the accident. U.S. Ski and Snowboard officials said he was treated for a hip injury at the hospital and released late Sunday afternoon. The doctor who treated him after the wreck said the fact this is Rahlves' fourth dislocation should make the injury more manageable.
Rahlves, 36, has had the X Games on his schedule for a long time, using it as his final tune-up before Vancouver.
Puckett, 37, said his plan was only to run through qualifying - he had no plans to race in the main races - so he could start getting some feel for competition after a long, post-injury layoff.
"I kind of got the go-ahead from the doctor to ski, and it made sense just to use this to train," Puckett said. "I wasn't going to jump on the course with five other guys, but wanted to get back up to speed because I didn't want to just show up to Vancouver after doing therapy and jump on the course."
Shepherd was turned on to ski cross in 2004 after his collegiate eligibility was expired at the Winter X Games and was immediately hooked. He competed for the U.S. Freestyle Ski Team when ski cross was first added to the Freestyle World Ski Championships in 2005.
"There's a lot on the line this year," Shepherd, who is the first full-time ski cross head coach for the U.S. Ski Team, told NPR. "And people are certainly gearing up for the big day in February, when we get to debut ski cross to the world."