Canadian freestyle skier and reigning Olympic silver medallist Mikaël Kingsbury says he’s nearing full health from a left groin injury while preparing for a return to World Cup moguls this week in Val St-Côme, Que.
Kingsbury, who was forced to withdraw from the men’s small final in early December at the season opener in Ruka, Finland, first suffered the injury four months ago in training.
“I’m not 100 per cent [but] getting close. I’m happy with the progression,” he said during a 30-minute call with English and French reporters on Monday. “I would like to race every race but [I] gotta make smart decisions because the main goal is the Olympic Games [next month in Milan Cortina].”
Kingsbury will enter single moguls on Friday night with 99 World Cup victories and evaluate his health Saturday before committing to dual moguls that evening.
The 33-year-old has succeeded on the “tough” course at Val St-Côme, sweeping singles and dual on consecutive days last Feb. 1 to extend his all-time World Cup wins record to 96. He also captured gold in dual moguls in 2024 at Val St-Côme.
“I love competing in front of my friends and family,” said Kingsbury, who will be one of Canada’s strongest medal hopefuls at the Winter Games in Italy, where dual moguls will make its Olympic debut. “[Val St-Côme] has become the training centre between races when [I] come home, so it’s a course I know well.
“I’ve skied basically [in all types of] conditions on that course. A lot of experience I can use to my advantage [this week].”
As for 100 career victories, Kingsbury told CBC Sports he started to believe it was realistic three years ago while speaking with his mental coach.
“And here we are, one win away,” said the native of Deux-Montagnes, Que., who seemed surprised at the amount of impact and strength he’s put on his skis in recent training. “After I won [Olympic gold] in 2018 [in Pyeongchang, South Korea] I thought 100 wins was impossible. There’s never going to be enough World Cup starts [for me] to get to 100 [victories].
Quebec’s Mikaël Kingsbury wins back-to-back World Cup events on home snow
“When you’re at 50, 60, it’s a lot of wins. It kept me motivated in the gym every day and the cold days on the snow to stay sharp. I know [100] is going to happen sooner or later but I’m not trying to put too much pressure on myself to get it done [this week].”
After suffering the groin injury “in late August, early September,” Kingsbury said he began skiing at the end of November prior to departing for Ruka, where training sessions went well before he experienced discomfort.
Besides rest, Kingsbury has treated the groin with ice, heat, physiotherapy, laser therapy and red light therapy, which is said to reduce pain and inflammation, accelerate tissue healing and enhance blood flow.
“The last four weeks things have gone well, the last three especially,” he told CBC Sports. “It’s encouraging that every week there are steps I am gaining, and I can push it a bit more.”
With the Olympics a month away, Kingsbury understands many kids and aspiring Olympians could be watching him compete at Val St-Côme, adding it doesn’t feel long ago he was the youngster on the other side of the fence seeking an autograph and picture with his idols.
“I know what it feels [like] to be that little kid,” said Kingsbury, who also earned Olympic silver in moguls in 2014 (Sochi, Russia) and 2022 (Beijing). “For me, it’s important to take time for the kids. I know how inspiring it is. I used to dream of the life I’m living right now and it’s special I’m still chasing that little kid’s dreams.
“I hope I can deliver my 100th win [for the kids this week]. It would be quite special to do it on home [snow] but the goal is to ski my best and we’ll see what’s going to be the result.”
The next World Cup event after Val St-Côme is Jan. 15-16 in Waterville Valley, N.H. The event was originally scheduled for the Deer Valley Resort in Utah but was moved due to “challenging early-season weather conditions.”
Mikael Kingsbury is excited to compete in front of a full Olympic crowd in Milano Cortina
