COMPETEING in what was seen as her final Olympic Games, the American skier wanted one final race. Just nine days before the competition, Vonn tore her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL). Determined not to let the injury end her Olympic dream, she chose to race with a knee brace, fully aware of the risks.
Only 13 seconds into her race, Vonn clipped the gate throwing her off travelling at 70mph. She was heard screaming in agony as medical staff rushed to her aid. Vonn was airlifted to hospital, where she underwent emergency surgery and was placed in intensive care.
Doctors later confirmed she had suffered a complex fracture to her tibia, an injury that will require multiple operations. Despite the severity of the crash, Vonn has made it clear she does not regret her decision to compete.
In an Instagram she stated that her ACL injury “had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever”.
“Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would,” she wrote. “It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairytale, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it.
“While yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets.
“Standing in the starting gate yesterday was an incredible feeling that I will never forget. Knowing I stood there having a chance to win was a victory in and of itself.”
Picture credit: Heute.at
