Gwendalyn Gibson revealed that she broke her collarbone in a crash during the third lap of the women’s cross-country Olympic distance race on Sunday. Following surgery in Brazil, she plans to fly home to Colorado soon. Despite uncertainties about the recovery timeline, she hopes to make it to Nove Mesto, which is the final Olympic qualifier.
Before the crash, Gibson had the 17th fastest time on the first lap, and by the end of the second lap, she had moved up to the 14th position after having the fifth fastest lap time. She expressed devastation at starting the year this way but sees it as a possible blessing in disguise and looks forward to making a comeback.
Gibson has experience with recovering from injuries, having broken her kneecap during the 2022 season. Despite this setback, she went on to have a successful year with a win in Short Track in Snowshoe, a second-place finish at Mont-Sainte-Anne, and a third-place finish at the World Championships. Following these achievements, she signed with Trek Factory Racing for the 2023 season. We wish Gibson all the best with her recovery.