Haugan faces back setback before season

Norwegian alpine skier Timon Haugan (29) has encountered a setback with renewed back problems during summer training. The slalom specialist, who won two World Cup races last season and was just hundredths away from Olympic bronze, revealed he added extra weight during a strength session which triggered the back issues.

Despite the setback, Haugan remains confident and reports his condition is improving. "It's better now than it was a couple of weeks ago," he told NTB. The 29-year-old is preparing for his tenth World Cup season and the upcoming Alpine World Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where he's considered a strong medal contender in slalom. His back issues won't affect plans for the six-week training camp in New Zealand with the national team. noplasticplease.life