Kimmie Meissner Withdraws From Grand Prix Events; Olympic Bid Likely Dashed

Former world champion Kimmie Meissner has withdrawn from her two scheduled Grand Prix events, Rostelecom Cup and NHK Trophy, due to knee problems, according to SunSentinel.com. The fact that she has withdrawn from both competitions right away shows how serious the issues are - and how considerate she is to provide ample time for another competitor to replace her in each competition. From the article:

"After much thought and consideration for what is best for the U.S. team and my career, it is with great regret that I have decided that I must withdraw from my assigned Grand Prix events," Meissner said in a statement. "For the United States to be represented properly, especially in an Olympic year, I feel I must put my personal desire to compete aside."

The 20-year-old Meissner has been plagued by injuries and inconsistent performances since winning her national crown. Her latest problem with the knee occurred while she was training in Florida and landed on the leg.

"My knee had become chronically inflamed, swollen and painful," Meissner said. "After some testing, along with an MRI, I was diagnosed with severe patellar tendinitis and a partial dislocation to my right kneecap."

Additionally, Meissner had secured a waiver to compete at Nationals because of the timing of her Grand Prix events (making it too difficult to compete in the regional event she needed to in order to try to qualify for Nationals), and that waiver is no longer valid, according to a U.S. Figure Skating spokesperson via the Baltimore Sun. If Meissner cannot compete in any events or qualify for the Nationals, her quest for an Olympic berth is essentially over.

This is such sad news. I was looking forward to seeing Meissner compete this season and I hope she has a full recovery. I'm sure this was a very difficult decision.