Two-time Olympic Snowboardcross gold medal winner Seth Wescott’s season is over, but the Carrabassett Valley native is upbeat for the future, immediate and long term.

Wescott tore his pectoral muscle during the Snowboardcross World Cup last Thursday in Veysonnaz, Switzerland. Wescott said he had surgery Tuesday in Vail, Colo., to reattach the muscle to his right humerus bone. Wescott will spend a month in a brace, and the rehab should take approximately eight to 10 weeks.

“They drill five holes in the humerus and sew the pec back in,” Wescott said in a phone interview on Wednesday afternoon. “I started physical therapy basically after waking up (Tuesday). … The docs are hopeful I could even be ready to go to Alaska by April 1.”

The injury occurred when another racer, Markus Schairer, fell in front of Wescott. Trying to avoid Schairer, Wescott dove and hit the landing of a jump.

“My right arm was extended out, and it completely separated the pectoral from the humerus,” Wescott said.

Although unable to compete in the Winter X Games in Aspen, Colo., Wescott plans to take part as a member of ESPN’s boardercross broadcast team.

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“I think I’ll just be doing some color commentary. I haven’t spoken to them yet. I’ll know the full deal (today),” Wescott said. “It’ll be fun. I’m sure they’re just excited to get somebody who knows the race and the competitors.”

The injury doesn’t derail Wescott’s long term goal of competing in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Boardercross has been an event twice in the winter games, in Turin, Italy, in 2006 and Vancouver, Canada, in 2010. Each time, Wescott won gold, and he would like to do so again in Sochi.

This also isn’t his first injury between Olympics. There was a broken wrist in 2007 and a leg injury a few months before the Vancouver games.

The next big competition in Wescott’s sights is the 2013 World Championships in Quebec next January.

“That’s the closest to home I’ll be for a world championship event, so I’m looking forward to that,” Wescott said. “I’m a year out from my next big thing.”

Travis Lazarczyk — 861-9242

tlazarczyk@centralmaine.com


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