As Olympics near, a return to full health trumps potential milestone moguls win for Kingsbury

Canadian freestyle skier and reigning Olympic silver medallist Mikaël Kingsbury says he’s nearing full health from a left groin injury while preparing for a return to World Cup moguls this week in Val St-Côme, Que.

Kingsbury, who was forced to withdraw from the men’s small final in early December at the season opener in Ruka, Finland, first suffered the injury four months ago in training.

“I’m not 100 per cent [but] getting close. I’m happy with the progression,” he said during a 30-minute call with English and French reporters on Monday. “I would like to race every race but [I] gotta make smart decisions because the main goal is the Olympic Games [next month in Milan Cortina].”

Kingsbury will enter single moguls on Friday night with 99 World Cup victories and evaluate his health Saturday before committing to dual moguls that evening.

The 33-year-old has succeeded on the “tough” course at Val St-Côme, sweeping singles and dual on consecutive days last Feb. 1 to extend his all-time World Cup wins record to 96. He also captured gold in dual moguls in 2024 at Val St-Côme.

“I love competing in front of my friends and family,” said Kingsbury, who will be one of Canada's strongest medal hopefuls at the Winter Games in Italy, where dual moguls will make its Olympic debut. “[Val St-Côme] has become the training centre between races when [I] come home, so it’s a course I know well.

“I’ve skied basically [in all types of] conditions on that course. A lot of experience I can use to my advantage [this week].”

As for 100 career victories, Kingsbury told CBC Sports he started to believe it was realistic three years ago while speaking with his mental coach.

“And here we are, one win away,” said the native of Deux-Montagnes,