41-year-old Lindsey Vonn crashed in the downhill race in Crans-Montana on Friday. The American injured the meniscus and tore the cruciate ligament in her left knee.
Despite this, the alpine star announced at a press conference on Tuesday that she still expects to be on the starting line in the Olympic downhill race in Cortina on Sunday.
“Will try”
"This is obviously not what I had hoped for. As long as there is a chance, I will try," Vonn said.
Matilda Lundblad, a sports doctor and researcher, questions the star's decision to race downhill, where top speeds reach nearly 140 kilometers per hour, with a severely injured knee.
"It is possible, but certainly not harmless. A misstep can have significantly greater consequences than for a person with an intact cruciate ligament," she wrote in a text message to TT.
"For the vast majority, such a decision would have been completely inappropriate just a week after such a serious knee injury," wrote Lundblad.
“An 80-year-old knee”
According to the sports doctor, it is possible to compensate for a missing cruciate ligament through exceptionally strong musculature, but significant risks remain.
"The risk applies not only to new acute injuries, but also to damage to the meniscus and articular cartilage, which can accelerate the development of osteoarthritis. In practice, this means you risk having a knee that is biologically equivalent to an 80-year-old's much earlier in life," Lundblad continued.
Lundblad believes Vonn is well aware of the risks.
"For some elite athletes, sporting value and personal identity outweigh long-term health, but it is a conscious choice with known risks."
Lindsey Vonn is one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time. She has an Olympic gold medal from Vancouver in 2010 and 84 World Cup victories to her credit. Last winter she made a comeback after several years out with injury and has won two World Cup downhill races this season.
Thursday's downhill training in Cortina was cancelled due to snowfall. Training runs are scheduled for Friday and Saturday.
