Julia Clukey Wins Jet Blue Start Championship 11 Days after Surgery

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.--- Julia Clukey, who underwent surgery on September 28 to repair a torn meniscus in her right knee, bounced back to win her third JetBlue USA Luge Start Championship title. The competition, held at the USA Luge Start Training Facility, featured the top luge athletes in the nation. 

Clukey (Augusta, Maine), winner of the 2009 International Start Competition held in Meransen, Italy in August, clocked a two-run combined time of 2.667 seconds to claim the win. She had injured her knee in late August while wheel training on the luge track in Lake Placid after crashing out of curve 14. She initially planned to postpone surgery until the end of the luge season, but became increasingly uncomfortable as the weeks wore on. Team physician Dr. Eugene Byrne performed the procedure on September 28^th in Saranac Lake, N.Y. at the Adirondack Medical Center.

“Julia had worked hard with Megan Ellzy and Jeremy Marra (Lake Placid U.S. Olympic Training Center Sports Medicine staff members) after the crash but was unable to train effectively,” said Dr. Byrne.  “She was found to have a meniscal tear which was repaired with an arthroscopic technique.   Julia will start rehabilitation at the Olympic Training Center Sports Medicine and will be on track to compete with the team for the 2009-10 season.”

Clukey should be at or near a 100% recovery by mid-November, at which point, her knee is not expected to affect her sliding, and with it, her ability to compete this season.