Winter Olympics are here! What are you watching?

[thecatumbrella]

Unfortunately from what I understand, that was her last time participating in the Olympics.

I didn’t realize she was in her 40’s. That’s such a bummer. Did she re-injure the same thing? Or is it a new injury?

 

[SunriseChickers]

I didn’t realize she was in her 40’s. That’s such a bummer. Did she re-injure the same thing? Or is it a new injury?

It was a complex tibia fracture that will require multiple surgeries to fix. She's already had three new surgeries on it, and it's currently externally stabilized.
She stated that the torn ACL was in no way the cause of her accident, she said her line was just five inches too high.
Don't know if you saw it, but her arm caught one of the gates and spun her out. It's a miracle she only injured her leg!

 

[SunriseChickers]

Picture of Lindsey Vonn with the external leg stabilizer, might make some folks squirm so I'm putting it in a spoiler.

Spoiler

"Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairy tail, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. Because in Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as 5 inches.

I was simply 5 inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.

Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.

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. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport.

And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is the also the beauty of life; we can try.

I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.

I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.

I believe in you, just as you believed in me.

LV"

 

[thecatumbrella]

Picture of Lindsey Vonn with the external leg stabilizer, might make some folks squirm so I'm putting it in a spoiler.

Spoiler

View attachment 4296440

"Yesterday my Olympic dream did not finish the way I dreamt it would. It wasn’t a story book ending or a fairy tail, it was just life. I dared to dream and had worked so hard to achieve it. Because in Downhill ski racing the difference between a strategic line and a catastrophic injury can be as small as 5 inches.

I was simply 5 inches too tight on my line when my right arm hooked inside of the gate, twisting me and resulted in my crash. My ACL and past injuries had nothing to do with my crash whatsoever.

Unfortunately, I sustained a complex tibia fracture that is currently stable but will require multiple surgeries to fix properly.

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. I also knew that racing was a risk. It always was and always will be an incredibly dangerous sport.

And similar to ski racing, we take risks in life. We dream. We love. We jump. And sometimes we fall. Sometimes our hearts are broken. Sometimes we don’t achieve the dreams we know we could have. But that is the also the beauty of life; we can try.

I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.

I hope if you take away anything from my journey it’s that you all have the courage to dare greatly. Life is too short not to take chances on yourself. Because the only failure in life is not trying.

I believe in you, just as you believed in me.

LV"

That is so unbelievably scary. I'm glad she's "alright" in that it's her leg and not her back or head. A great message from her as well! I hope she can return as a commentator or coach in the future.