While Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby received most of the attention in his return from concussion problems, another Canadian Olympian made a post-concussion comeback.
26-year-old North Vancouver native Robbie Dixon made his return to ski racing on Saturday, placing 25th in the Men’s Downhill at the Lake Louise Winterstart World Cup event in Alberta.
It was Dixon’s first race since Dec. 29, 2010, when he crashed during a downhill race in Italy, suffering a serious concussion that has kept him out of competition for nearly a year. Last December, Dixon lost his balance on a turn, slid downhill and slammed face-first into the netting.
While Crosby’s therapy and rehab was busy and well documented, Dixon’s was different, as he did as little as possible to deal with the head injury.
“You take away all your technology, no reading, no computers, no books. You spend time in a dark room,” Dixon said. “Really what you want to do is the least amount of stimulation for your brain. It’s a tough one because you can’t really do anything.”
Second place among Canadians on Saturday, Dixon is feeling confident about the Canadian National Team and his result.
“I’m pretty happy with the approach and my mental state. My head was feeling good and right now, it’s just about getting consistency.”
Switzerland’s Didier Cuche won Saturday’s race. At 37 years old, he became the oldest skier to win a World Cup alpine race.
– with files from The Globe and Mail
Photo: Canadian Press
