ALPINE:

Guay optimistic for Kitzbühel return this weekend

Jan. 18, 2011 — Alpine Canada  

KITZBÜHEL, Austria ― Canada's Erik Guay will test his troublesome back during a training run Wednesday and hopes to make his return to the World Cup circuit at the famed Kitzbühel course in Austria this weekend.

Guay, of Mont-Tremblant, Que., skipped last week's races in Wengen, Switzerland, with a recurrence of lower back pain.

But the 29-year-old, who won the crystal globe last season as the overall World Cup super-G champion, is feeling stronger and hopes to make his comeback in Friday's super-G race or Saturday's downhill event.

"I'm definitely in a good spot. I think I'll be fine," said Guay. "I just want to get some good turns in and build some confidence back up."

Guay was third in the super-G at Val Gardena, Italy, in December but sat out the World Cup stop in Bormio, Italy, to rest his back. He decided against returning at Wengen last weekend but feels ready to take part in Wednesday's scheduled training run.

"It's important to be focused and have a good game plan going in there," said Guay of prepping for a return at Kitzbühel. "I've been away from the team for a little while now so it feels good to be back among the boys."

Guay said he's not completely pain free but wants to see how his back responds in the next few days.

"His training has been going really well," said Paul Kristofic, Canada's head coach. "He's going to give it a shot."

Another men's team veteran hoping to race this weekend is Jan Hudec, of Calgary, Alta. Hudec fractured his hand during Saturday's downhill race in Wengen but had surgery Sunday in Zurich, Switzerland, and is recovering well.

"I actually feel pretty good. The surgery went well," said Hudec, who has a cast on his hand. "I'm skiing well, so it's a matter of being confident."

One skier who won't be back this weekend is Robbie Dixon, of Whistler, B.C. Dixon, who suffered a concussion in Bormio, is continuing his rehabilitation in Calgary.

The women's' team is in Italy for this weekend's races at Cortina d'Ampezzo.

World Cup action on TV:

CBC's main network is broadcasting action from the men's World Cup downhill at Kitzbühel on Saturday at 3 p.m. ET. CBC will also screen the women's downhill from Cortina d'Ampezzo Saturday at 12 p.m. ET.

CBC Bold and cbc.ca has live coverage of men's alpine skiing planned for Friday at 5:25 a.m., Saturday at 5:25 a.m. ET and Sunday at 4:10 a.m. ET. They will also screen the women's' downhill race Saturday from 3:55 a.m. ET.

Rogers Sportsnet is broadcasting the women's' World Cup super-G race on Sunday, at 12:30 p.m. ET on Rogers Sportsnet East, 4 p.m. MT on Rogers Sportsnet West and 5:30 p.m. PT on Rogers Sportsnet Pacific. S-Magazine