US skier Cochran-Siegle’s setback fuels Olympic motivation

Published October 24, 2021 6:36 AM

By ERIC WILLEMSEN
Associated Press

SÖLDEN, Austria (AP) — Ryan Cochran-Siegle had his return to World Cup skiing after a 275-day injury break cut short to a single run. The American missed qualification for the second leg of the season-opening giant slalom by one hundredth of a second. But the Vermont native quickly took positives from the setback. At least he was back racing again. Cochran-Siegle needed surgery on a fracture of a cervical vertebra of the spine in February after a downhill crash in Austria. He returned to skiing in May. He is now looking forward to the Olympics and said “setbacks are good motivators.”