The back injury suffered by Loïc Meillard while preparing for the World Cup giant slalom in Sölden turns out to be a tear in the sheath of the intervertebral disc between vertebrae L5 and S1.
Meillard received the diagnosis after examinations at the Hirslanden Clinic. "An injury like this is very painful. The healing process is difficult to predict. We are currently assuming that Loïc will be able to compete again in Levi," Walter O. Frey, the doctor responsible for alpine skiing at Swiss-Ski, was quoted as saying in a press release. The first men's World Cup slalom of the winter will take place in the Finnish resort on Sunday, November 17.
"It hurt my heart not to be able to compete in Sölden. Now I'm taking it day by day and doing everything I can to get better as quickly as possible," Meillard said.
Meillard suffered a blow to his back on Sunday as he was skiing in for the race on the Rettenbach glacier and therefore had to miss the traditional prologue.
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