Mancuso may end season early
By Jessica Kelley, Ski Racing
The U.S. might be missing one familiar face at next week’s World Cup Finals in Meribel, France. Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley has announced that she will be taking a brief break from racing and is heading back to the U.S.
Mancuso, who has been troubled with hip pain her entire career, decided to sit out last Sunday’s super G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in attempts to alleviate the persistent pain. She then announced via social media that she would be returning to the U.S. to seek treatment and a solution for her long-running hip injury.
Mancuso had surgery in 2006 following her Olympic gold medal in Torino on the same hip she is struggling with currently and was able to come back strong the following season. This year looked to be a promising one for Mancuso with a string of three straight top-10 results in Lake Louise, including a podium in the second downhill, which was part of the first-ever American sweep in a World Cup. She took a brief break following World Championships and missed the next World Cup weekend. Since returning, she has struggled to find her early season form and according to reports, she has not felt “right” all season long.