Vonn to miss Sochi Olympics
By USSA
PARK CITY -– Olympic gold medalist and 17-time Audi FIS Alpine World Cup title winner Lindsey Vonn (Vail) announced today that she will miss the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
“I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL, but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level,” Vonn said.
Vonn sustained a season-ending injury to her right knee on Feb. 5, 2013, during a crash in the opening race of the World Championships in Schladming, Austria.
Vonn staged a comeback, returning to snow on Aug. 31 during a U.S. Ski Team training camp in Portillo, Chile.
She re-aggravated the same knee during a downhill training crash on Nov. 19 at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, Colo., causing her to miss the debut of Raptor, the 2015 World Championships women’s venue at Beaver Creek.
She then returned to the World Cup tour Dec. 6-8 with a successful three-race series in Lake Louise, Alberta, including an impressive fifth the super G.
A subsequent racing injury suffered Dec. 21 during a World Cup downhill in Val d’Isere, France, made it impossible to stabilize her knee and be ready in time for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games.
Vonn will undergo surgery shortly and will turn her focus on the 2015 World Cup season that includes the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships set for Feb. 2-15 in Beaver Creek.
Vonn is the most successful female alpine skier in American history with 17 World Cup titles including a record six consecutive downhill titles and four overall crowns.
Vonn has 59 World Cup victories, currently three short of tying the women’s all-time record of 62 held by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell.
Lindsey, you’re talent will be missed sorely by our US Ski Team!
Get better quick, and remember when it comes to orthopedic rehab, pleasure is the child of pain (although I’m sure you’re well aware of that!).
That’s a shame. Lindsey is so good. She will be missed at Sochi. . . our spirits and determination are capable of so much more than these fragile bodies will allow. All the best to all the athletes. I hope everybody stays strong and healthy over there.
Oh, and GO MADDIE!!!
What a painful decision… but I am sure her long-term health was key in making it. She is our team winner – no matter what. What a beautiful gal, powerful spirit, and amazing ski racer.