Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Canadian world champion slopestyle snowboarder Liam Brierley set to miss upcoming Milan Cortina winter Olympics After knee surgery.
The 22-year-old injured both his knee and ankle during a training session in November.
Brierley confirmed the news in an Instagram post expressing her deep disappointment.
“After exploring every option, I had to undergo knee surgery, which unfortunately ruled me out of the upcoming season and the Olympic Games,” he wrote.
“Competing on that stage has been a lifelong dream, and missing it hurts more than I can put into words.”
The 2026 Games would have marked Brearley’s Olympic debut, a spot he automatically secured by winning slopestyle gold at the world championships in Switzerland in March. Despite the failure, he is determined about his future in the sport.
“I know setbacks are part of the journey,” Brierley said. “The focus now is on recovery and coming back stronger than ever. I’m not going anywhere and I’m more motivated than ever.”
Brierley is not the only high-profile name who will not be attending the Winter Games, which run from February 6-22 next year.
Two-time Olympic snowboarding champion Lindsey Jacobellis Has also confirmed that she will not be competing after recently giving birth to her daughter Ayla.
Jacobellis will instead provide expert analysis for NBC from the commentary booth.
Explaining her decision, Jacobellis said: “I sat down with my agent, my husband, we considered the pros and cons.
“I’m a competitor and I love to compete but there can always be competition. And these early years with my daughter are limited. I had to make a decision. Those decisions are hard. Adulthood is hard.”
Jacobellis stressed that she has not retired from competition yet, but wants to focus on prioritizing her family for the time being following the birth of her daughter.