Lindsey Vonn reported today that she will not be returning to competitive skiing until late November. The four-time World Cup winner and Olympic Champ tore the ACL and MCL ligaments in her right knee during a crash last February at the World Championships in Scladming, Austria during the Super G.
Here’s a video of the brutal and painful crash at Scladming:
It appears that Vonn was being optimistic about her health when she told reporters during a U.S.Olympic Committee in early October that she was feeling strong enough to compete at the race in Soelden, Austria. If she was able to ski in that race, she would have been about five weeks ahead of her expected recovery time.
Vonn posted her disappointment on her Facebook page and Official Website earlier today, “My training camp in Soelden went very well and I made great progress, but I feel that I need more training before I start racing again…which means the Soelden race is not in the cards this year. Patience is not my strong suit so not racing is very hard for me but it will only make me more excited for the next one. I will go home to Vail and continue my preparation for the Beaver Creek races and my ultimate goal in February! Thanks for the support everyone.”
The race at Beaver Creek, Colorado is scheduled to start on November 29th. While the delay may frustrate the competitive Vonn, if she returns by the end of November, she should be strong enough to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
Vonn is considered the most successful American skier ever. She has 59 World Cup victories under her belt and both a gold and bronze Olympic medal.
Image via Facebook