Ski standout Braathen has surgery on appendix before worlds

ZELL-AM-SEE, Austria (AP) — World Cup slalom standings leader Lucas Braathen said he left hospital on Thursday after surgery for appendicitis ahead of the world championships.

The 22-year-old Norwegian will miss a World Cup slalom on Saturday in France but is targeting races in two weeks' time at the worlds in Courchevel and Meribel.

“It’s been a tough couple of days fighting after surprisingly finding out about quite an intense infection on my appendix,” Braathen wrote in a post on Instagram that included a photograph from his hospital bed.

“I’ve been through surgery and I’m blessed that it went successfully,” he said.

Braathen, whose mother is Brazilian, has been a standout personality on and off the snow this season.

Skiing with his personal trademark painted fingernails, he has two wins in slalom and one in giant slalom, plus three more podium finishes.

At the worlds, the men’s giant slalom is on Feb. 17 and the slalom closes the two-week championships on Feb. 19.

“Hopefully I’ll be back in a couple of weeks,” he said.

___

More AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/skiing and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports