Erik Guay, the reigning world super-G champion, announced Thursday that he was stopping his career at the age of 37 after his teammate Manuel Osborne Paradis crashed hard.
"It's a bittersweet day as I close the chapter on what was an important part of my life," he said on the sidelines of the Lake Louise (Canada) World Cup stage where will be held Saturday and Sunday the first trials of winter speed.
Guay had announced that the 2018-19 season would be his last on the world circuit, but he decided to stop his career immediately after the fall during the first official training on Wednesday of Osborne Paradis, who suffers from a double fractured tibia fibula of the left leg.
"And if it happened to me ..."
"It had an impact, I was a few numbers after " Manny " when I heard that he had fallen and he had to be evacuated by helicopter, I knew it was not good news He told CBC Sports.
"I thought, " And if it happened to me now, I do not know if I would have the energy to relive the whole process of recovery again, " it helped me make my decision," recognized Guay, father of four children.
During his career, Guay has won five World Cup victories, the world's No. 1 super-G globe in 2010 and two world titles (downhill in 2011 and super-G in 2017). He has competed in three Olympics, finishing fourth in the 2006 Olympics Super G, and fifth in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics downhill and super-G.
"I'm incredibly proud of everything I've accomplished [...] but there's no question that my world championship titles and the globe for the super-G World Cup are the highlights of my career. He explained.
Two years ago in St Moritz (Switzerland), Guay won the super-G World Cup 2017 to everyone's surprise, becoming the 35-year-old Dean of the World Champions. He had also won silver in the downhill, but he could not compete in the 2018 Olympics in Pyeongchang the following year because of a back injury.