Injury forces Alaska skier Andrew Kurka to exit Paralympics after just one race

By Anchorage Daily News

Updated: March 6, 2022 Published: March 6, 2022

Andrew Kurka of the United States competes in the men's downhill, sitting, at the 2022 Winter Paralympics, Saturday, March 5, 2022, in the Yanqing district of Beijing. (Andy Wong / Associated Press)

Andrew Kurka’s 2022 Paralympic experience had barely got underway when injury forced the Palmer native out of further competition.

Kurka, the 2018 gold medalist in the downhill, revealed Saturday that he had broken his thumb and humerus, in his upper arm, just prior to completing a 4th-place run in the downhill in Yanqing, China.

“I still raced and gave it my all,” Kurka wrote on Twitter. “I promise I won’t be giving up.”

It is with a heavy heart that the downhill here in Beijing will be my only race. The heavy winds were dangerous and just prior to racing took me into the fence. Breaking my humerus and thumb. I still raced and gave it my all. I promise I won’t be giving up. pic.twitter.com/GtABjnRKdG
— Andrew Kurka (@Andrew_Kurka) March 5, 2022

Kurka was competing in his third Paralympics for the United States, with a silver medal in the Super-G in 2018 to go with his downhill gold.

Kurka was selected for the 2014 team but did not compete due to a training injury suffered just prior to competition in Sochi.