‘Medical miracles’ needed to extend Vonn’s career
JEONGSEON, South Korea — American speed queen Lindsey Vonn said on Tuesday that she would require “medical miracles” to extend her trophy-laden skiing career after sustaining a string of devastating injuries.
Serious injuries are one of the hazards of elite racing, which this season has seen the deaths of two male racers, France’s two-time Olympian David Poisson and German teenager Max Burkhart.
Be it a jarred back, fractured humerus or season-ending injuries that include a fractured left ankle (2016), wrecked right knee (2014) and left knee (2013), Vonn has sustained a catalogue of mishaps that have left her relying on more than a couple of reconstructed body parts.
“I’m just counting on some medical miracles to extend my career,” said Vonn, who missed the 2014 Sochi Games with a knee injury.
The 33-year-old, who will target a second Olympic downhill gold on Wednesday after winning in Vancouver in 2010, has confirmed she will race as long as she can, primarily in her bid to beat Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup victories. The four-time World Cup overall champion’s tally is currently 81.
After finishing fourth in Tuesday’s final downhill training, won by Austrian Ramona Siebenhofer, Vonn reiterated that it was highly unlikely she would make it through to the 2022 Beijing Olympics.
“It’s 99.9 percent sure I won’t,” said the American.
“But who knows? Maybe something will come out and they’ll fix my knee up and I’ll be like ‘robo-knee’ and be able to ski 10 more years. That would be ideal.”
Vonn, one of the most recognizable faces at the Olympics, added: “I love what I do, I have so much fun going fast and pushing myself to the limit on downhill skis. There’s nothing else I’d rather do.
“If I can physically continue skiing, then I absolutely will, but at this point it takes a lot to make my knee good enough to ski downhill, it has to be pretty solid to push yourself at these speeds and be able to trust it hold up.”
Vonn will go into Wednesday’s downhill as a firm favorite on the challenging Jeongseon course.
Coming down first on Tuesday, she said her descent felt “pretty good”, although she missed a gate high up the piste.
“I was definitely trying a few things with line and the reason I missed that gate was because I didn’t slip the line running number one,” she said.
“But I’m not worried about it at all. I’m happy, it was solid training.” Turning to her optimal bib number, Vonn said she would wait until she saw which number Italian rival and close friend Sofia Goggia chose.
“It really depends on what Sofia chooses; I’m picking right behind her so I would like to start behind her,” Vonn said.
“I like knowing what times my competitors get and how they’re skiing.
“Before nine is ideal because after the television break they slip and there’s loose snow on the slope.”