‘Fingers crossed for her’: Injured Peel has time on her side in Olympic medal quest

3 weeks ago 9

Livigno: Australian aerial skiing star Laura Peel is being given every chance to overcome a knee injury she suffered in a pre-Olympics camp and take her place at Milan Cortina 2026, chef de mission Alisa Camplin said.

Peel hurt her knee while training in Airolo, Switzerland on Monday and has undergone an MRI scan but no further details about the extent of the damage have been released by the Australian team.

The 36-year-old is aiming to participate in her fourth Olympic Games and finally claim a medal after finishing fifth at Beijing 2022. She has time on her side, as she is not due to compete until February 17 – almost two weeks away.

“She’s working with her coaches and physios and sports psychologists trying to work out what is the plan for every single day? She’s still got many days until her competition,” Camplin told reporters in Livigno on Wednesday.

“I’ve kind of led them to their collective bubble to work out what is the right journey from right now to the Games for her. I check in every day. Wellbeing is so important to me.

“I know she’s got all the right people around her and I’m just trying to let her get the right mindset to work out what’s the right pathway for her through these Games.”

Laura Peel competes at a World Cup event at Lake Placid in New York last month.

Freestyle skiier and newly-appointed Australian flagbearer Matt Graham is hopeful Peel can tick all the required boxes and take her place on the start line - but as Camplin pointed out, he himself is an example that a disrupted preparation is not necessarily an insurmountable obstacle.

Graham snapped his collarbone one month out from the last Winter Olympics, while another member of Australia’s 53-athlete team, Daisy Thomas, ruptured her ACL but is still planning to take part.

There is another high-profile star who is refusing to accept their fate: American veteran Lindsey Vonn, who blew out her ACL last week but declared on Tuesday her intention to forge ahead regardless.

“I think sometimes we forget that every athlete’s journey into the Olympics is a total roller coaster,” Camplin said.

“I say to all the athletes, there’s actually no perfect preparation. You’ve just got to roll with what happens and make your best decisions so that you bring what you can when you get to the start gate.

“These guys, they know what that’s like. There is a lot of ups and downs, but that’s why we have sports psychologists and people that care and a lot of experience and love around for everyone.”

Graham said: “Laura’s a good friend of ours. The mobile skiing and the aerial skiing worlds are very close. I feel for her. She’s a strong, talented woman. I’m sure that she’ll put her best foot forward. Fingers crossed for her and the team.”

The Winter Olympic Games will be broadcast on the 9Network, 9Now and Stan Sport.

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