For one Vermont Olympian, it was a long, uphill battle to go downhill
JEONGSEON, South Korea – Ryan Cochran-Siegle comes from a family synonymous with ski racing.
His mother, Barbara, won gold in the slalom in the 1972 Olympics, his grandfather was a US ski team coach, and his family runs a ski area in northern Vermont that takes ski racing seriously.
Cochran-Siegle, 25, is proud of that heritage, and was pleased to this week become the latest in his family to compete in the Olympics.
But it was the uphill battle to get here that pleases Cochran-Siegle the most. A severe knee injury in 2013 led to the decision to take the entire 2015 season off to focus on recovering.
“I think that’s actually pretty special. I mean a couple years ago, just based on where I was, where my knee was, there was no sure thing that I’d ever be competing at a high level again, so to be back here, especially starting an Olympic downhill, that kind of proves what shape I’m in and kind of where I’ve progressed,’’ Cochran-Siegle said Thursday after finishing 23rd in the downhill at Jeongseon Alpine Center.
Two days before, in the super-G portion of the Alpine Combined, Cochran-Siegle’s race was over just moments after it began when he clipped a gate and fell. He was not originally named as one of the four US starters for the downhill, but was put in the lineup when teammate Tommy Biesemeyer suffered a season-ending ankle injury Wednesday while training for the downhill.
While an unfortunate circumstance for Biesemeyer, who had spent considerable time himself rehabbing to get to this point, it was a chance for redemption for Cochran-Siegle.
“I think he took advantage of the opportunity. He pushed hard, he skied really well. I was really proud of the way he skied today,’’ said US ski team coach Johno McBride.
Tracy Fober, a physical therapist and strength coach at US Ski and Snowboard’s Center of Excellence, also took pride in seeing Cochran-Siegle cross the finish line Thursday. She was a firsthand witness to the amount of work Cochran-Siegle put in to return to high-level racing.
“We knew the goal was the 2018 [Olympics] and we kept our eyes on that goal. So many times there is a rush to return athletes for the next season, but this rehab was different. No one batted an eye that it would take two years to likely return to domestic competition and three to World Cup competition,’’ she said. “This is highly unusual, but Ryan made the commitment, as did all of the staff, as we knew he had the potential to return to skiing at the World Cup level.’’
Cochran-Siegle was fine with following orders.
“I just listened to everyone above me, all the PTs, all the doctors, all my coaches, just listening to their guidance because obviously they want me back to where I could be my best,’’ he said.
He had help from Biesemeyer, who was also rehabbing at the same time, and he said being with others as they worked their way back from injuries was an immense help.
“Sharing a lot of the time, like a lot of the struggles with other athletes, like Biesy just got injured and I definitely feel for him right now because when I was coming back from my knee injury we were together, we were a two-man team,’’ Cochran-Siegle said. “So I’m going to try as much as possible to send him some positive vibes and help him get back.’’
Before the Olympics, his mother sent him a note with some words of encouragement that meant a lot to him.
“[It said] just focus on the skiing and enjoy the moment, have fun with it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself because in the end of the day it’s just skiing,’’ he said. “It was nice. It was definitely a touching card that she wrote and I’m thankful for her.’’
He did, however, believe he redeemed himself in the downhill after a poor showing in the Alpine Combined, a race in which he said he felt like he “left a lot on the table.’’ He gets another shot to prove himself Friday in the super-G.
“I thought actually my skiing is really coming along and I’m pretty pleased with it. Obviously I’m still a ways from the top, so there’s a lot to be learned,’’ he said.
