United States skier Lindsey Vonn amongst three crashes in Crans-Montana in Switzerland with race finally cancelled.
Lindsey Vonn crashed in her remaining downhill earlier than the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics and was left limping and preserving weight off her left knee earlier than being airlifted to hospital – throwing into doubt the 41-year-old’s spectacular snowboarding comeback.
Vonn – who was anticipated to be one of many stars of the Olympics however now faces uncertainty over her standing – misplaced management on Friday when touchdown a soar in a World Cup race held in troublesome situations with low visibility and ended up tangled within the security nets on the higher portion of the course.
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The race at Crans-Montana in Switzerland, was later cancelled after three of the primary six racers crashed.
Vonn finally obtained up after receiving medical consideration and walked away gingerly, taking weight off her left knee and utilizing her poles to regular herself. She then clicked her skis again on however stopped to examine her left knee.
The American finally made it to the end space and limped right into a tent for medical consideration. She was then airlifted away by helicopter – dangling from a rope throughout the Swiss Alps.
Earlier than she entered the tent, Vonn had an anxious expression on her face and her eyes have been closed throughout a protracted embrace with teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who was main the race when it was cancelled.
Vonn has been the circuit’s main downhiller this season with two victories and three different podium finishes, having returned final season after a partial proper knee titanium alternative.
Together with super-G, Vonn had accomplished eight World Cup races this season and completed on the rostrum in seven of them. Her worst end was fourth.
The crash occurred precisely per week earlier than the Milan Cortina opening ceremony.
Vonn’s first Olympic race is the ladies’s downhill on February 8. She was additionally planning on competing within the super-G and the brand new workforce mixed occasion on the Video games.
Girls’s snowboarding on the Olympics shall be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the place Vonn holds the document of 12 World Cup wins.
Vonn was additionally planning on racing a super-G in Crans-Montana on Saturday in what would have been her remaining race earlier than the Video games.
Vonn had registered the quickest time on the first checkpoint after which landed a soar off stability, lifting her left arm and pole excessive into the air in an try to regain her stability. Then, as she tried to brake, Vonn obtained spun round and ended up within the nets.
Vonn was the sixth racer to begin, and two different skiers had additionally crashed earlier than her: Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway.
Ortlieb crashed on high in the identical space as Vonn, and Monsen hit the nets simply earlier than the end space and needed to be taken away in a sled. The race was delayed after each of these crashes. However then two racers – Wiles and Corrine Suter, the Olympic champion, accomplished their runs.
Romane Miradoli of France, who did full her run, stated visibility was a problem, with snow falling.
“You possibly can’t see,” Miradoli stated, “and it’s bumpy in all places.”
Requested if it was harmful, Miradoli added, “We simply couldn’t see properly.”
Vonn has had quite a few crashes in her profession. Certainly one of her worst was on the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, throughout a super-G that was additionally held in troublesome situations. Vonn then needed to be airlifted off the course and tore aside her proper knee. She returned the next season, obtained harm once more and missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
