Vonn risking damage to arm

ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria — Lindsey Vonn is taking “a lot of risk of doing more damage” to her right arm when she returns to World Cup skiing this weekend, nine weeks after breaking her right upper arm.

Surgery has made the arm more vulnerable to another fracture if she has to break a fall, the four-time overall champion said on Thursday.

“For the rest of my career there will definitely be a lot of risk,” Vonn said.

“The plate is stable but obviously above the plate my arm is susceptible to another fracture.

“As I have already a plate in there, it becomes a very complicated surgery were to do that.”

Vonn would have to fly back immediately to the clinic in Vail, Colo., where she underwent surgery in November, in case it happens.

“They have to be either taking out the plate and do another plate, or two plates on top of each other,” Vonn said. “That is a very complicated surgery.”

Vonn suffered the injury in a training crash on Copper Mountain, Colo., while recovering from a left knee injury that ended her last season prematurely in February.

Late Wednesday, Vonn revealed she struggled with nerve damage so severe she couldn't even move her fingers soon after the surgery in if I November. She posted a 51⁄ minute video on her Facebook page which showed glimpses of her nine-week rehab. The video had more than one million views the following day.

Vonn said on Thursday she was “very scared” whether she would be able to use her hand in a normal way again. Two months later, she was still hampered in daily life by its reduced mobility but was able to hold her ski pole as “the grip is strong.”

In races, she was not planning to wear special protection except for double paddings under her race suit.

“It's certainly not going to be aerodynamic but it will be protective somewhat,” Vonn said.