Injured Vonn's Olympic bid is 'inspirational', ski stars say / Photo: Odd ANDERSEN - AFP
Injured Vonn's Olympic bid is 'inspirational', ski stars say
US speed queen Lindsey Vonn's desire to race at the Olympics despite a ruptured knee ligament is an inspiration to all racers, her male counterparts said after training on Wednesday.
Vonn, 41, has been thrown another challenge in an injury-blighted career after a heavy crash in a World Cup downhill race in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Friday.
That resulted in a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL.
The American, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, insisted however that she would defy that injury in a bid to take to the piste in Cortina d'Ampezzo for Sunday's Olympic downhill.
"She's one of the greatest of all time," Switzerland's Marco Odermatt told reporters after the first downhill training session for the men in Bormio.
"She's recovered from so many injuries and (had so many) comebacks.
"I hope she can race on Sunday and win a medal," said the reigning Olympic giant slalom champion and runaway World Cup leader who is a firm favourite to add to his medal haul in Italy.
Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr acknowledged that knee injuries were part and parcel of ski racing, the centrifugal nature of which puts incredible pressure on the legs.
"There are many athletes on the start in the downhill, also from my team, without an ACL," said the Austrian who won both the downhill and super-G gold at the 2021 world championships held in Cortina.
"One week after that crash, it's amazing. She's inspiring every one of us, for sure.
"I'm a big fan of her, how she puts everything into the sport and I wish her all the best," he said of Vonn, who has a World Cup record of 12 victories in Cortina.
- Hopefully 'not stupid' -
Italian veteran Dominik Paris said it had not been nice to see the crash and hear about the injury.
"Hopefully she can do this dream," said Paris. "Hopefully she's safe enough with the knee not to have another injury."
Paris admitted that he had once toyed with the idea of skiing with a similar injury.
"One time I had the intention after I broke my ACL in Kitzbuehel to race the next day, but I understand, 'OK the knee's not working out'.
"Maybe she had different injuries and how to work on it. We'll see, hopefully it's not a stupid thing."
American Ryan Cochran-Siegle, who topped times for the first training run, said the US men's team were "definitely taking inspiration from her".
"She's an incredible athlete, an incredible person and her mental fortitude and her drive just show so much passion for the sport and passion in herself," he said.
"Obviously, we would have wanted her fully healthy going into these Games."
But Cochran-Siegle echoed the thoughts of many other racers by adding: "I still think she's a threat, with her history in Cortina and her dominance as a speed athlete over her career.
"Never count her out! It should be fun to watch."
Vonn has finished on the podium in every World Cup downhill race this season, including two victories in St. Moritz and Zauchensee, and has claimed two more top-three finishes in the super-G.
But it will be a monumental ask for her to repeat that feat with such a damaged knee.
The women's programme gets under way Thursday with three downhill training runs.
All eyes will be on Vonn, who has to complete at least one training run to be able to compete in Sunday's downhill.
L.Schmitz--BVZ
