Matt Graham has warned against fellow Olympic mogul medallist Jakara Anthony rushing her return from a broken collarbone, which has put her World Cup season in major doubt.
Anthony is currently recuperating in Australia following surgery after a fall at training while preparing for a World Cup dual moguls events in Sweden.
She had won the singles event in Idre Fjall the previous day, while she'd finished second in the opening round of the season in Ruka, Finland.
The 26-year-old, who won single gold at the last Games in Beijing in 2022, was looking to replicate a record-breaking season in 2023-24 when she won 14 events from 16 on offer.
While Anthony's camp initially flagged a possible return for the next round in Waterville in the United States on January 24-25 it's believed that's now off the table.
The Victorian is more likely to target the World Cup round on March 11-13 in Livigno, Italy, which will host the freestyle events at the next Olympics in February 2026.
The world championships in St Moritz, Switzerland, gets underway a week later where Anthony was set to chase the only trophy missing from her bulging cabinet.
But Graham, who won Olympic silver in PyeongChang in 2018, told AAP his Australian teammate shouldn't try to rush back this season and risk further complications - particularly with the Olympics on the horizon.
The 30-year-old broke his collarbone, coincidentally at the same Swedish resort, in late 2021 and required three additional surgeries with the bones failing to mend.
The injury cruelled his Beijing Olympic campaign, missing the finals, although he managed to win two medals at the last world championships in Georgia in 2023 before heading straight in for more surgery.
"The end of January would be really pushing it," Graham said of Anthony's return to the World Cup circuit.
"She definitely could by the end of the season, but that's probably not a priority.
"I think her first priority is making sure the bone heals, especially after seeing what I went through - I had four non-unions and three re-surgeries.
"After it's healed and fixed she can get back into training with the Olympics being the priority.
"Obviously the world championships is the one thing she doesn't have in the sport just yet and whether she comes back for that it's up to her and her medical team but I don't think they will stress to get back for that because the priority is the Olympic Games."
Currently enjoying a reunion with his baby daughter in Sydney before returning to the circuit, Graham is currently seventh in the World Cup standings, while Anthony was joint-leader with French skier Perrine Laffont before her injury.
