Lindsey Vonn, the American ski sensation, sustained a serious injury in her Olympic downhill event that has left many questioning whether she was reckless or not. The 41-year-old Vonn suffered a "complex tibia fracture" and underwent surgery to fix it after a crash on Sunday's downhill race.
In an Instagram post, Vonn said "while yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets." She claimed that her ACL ruptured in her left knee nine days earlier but said it had nothing to do with the recent crash. Vonn was training on Saturday before Sunday's event when she clipped a gate early in her run.
Vonn's father, Alan Kildow, expressed his frustration and told The Associated Press that his daughter will not return to racing if he has any say in the matter. "She's 41 years old, and this is the end of her career," he said.
Many have speculated about whether Vonn's decision to compete was reckless or not, but she maintains that it had nothing to do with her knee injury. Her teammate Keely Cashman echoed those sentiments saying "totally incorrect" - people who don't understand ski racing just don't know what happened yesterday. Cashman explained that the accident occurred when Vonn hooked her arm on a gate and twisted around due to the speed of the downhill, which was going at over 70 miles per hour.
Experts have weighed in, saying that while an injury like Vonn's is serious, it doesn't necessarily mean she should be held responsible for what happened. Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, stated "I firmly believe that this has to be decided by the individual athlete." The U.S. Ski Team said only that Vonn was in stable condition after surgery.
Vonn's decision to compete despite her injury was seen as a bold move, one that may have put her at risk of serious injury. However, she remains defiant, saying "she knew physical pain and understands the circumstances that she finds herself in" - according to her father Kildow.
In an Instagram post, Vonn said "while yesterday did not end the way I had hoped, and despite the intense physical pain it caused, I have no regrets." She claimed that her ACL ruptured in her left knee nine days earlier but said it had nothing to do with the recent crash. Vonn was training on Saturday before Sunday's event when she clipped a gate early in her run.
Vonn's father, Alan Kildow, expressed his frustration and told The Associated Press that his daughter will not return to racing if he has any say in the matter. "She's 41 years old, and this is the end of her career," he said.
Many have speculated about whether Vonn's decision to compete was reckless or not, but she maintains that it had nothing to do with her knee injury. Her teammate Keely Cashman echoed those sentiments saying "totally incorrect" - people who don't understand ski racing just don't know what happened yesterday. Cashman explained that the accident occurred when Vonn hooked her arm on a gate and twisted around due to the speed of the downhill, which was going at over 70 miles per hour.
Experts have weighed in, saying that while an injury like Vonn's is serious, it doesn't necessarily mean she should be held responsible for what happened. Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, stated "I firmly believe that this has to be decided by the individual athlete." The U.S. Ski Team said only that Vonn was in stable condition after surgery.
Vonn's decision to compete despite her injury was seen as a bold move, one that may have put her at risk of serious injury. However, she remains defiant, saying "she knew physical pain and understands the circumstances that she finds herself in" - according to her father Kildow.
Vonn's got skills & guts, don't @ me 
i mean, who rushes back onto the slope with a major knee injury? but on the other hand, like, she did get hurt from a gate and all that 
so maybe she didn't have much control over it? or maybe she just really loves skiing and didn't want to give up 
. her teammate says it's totally incorrect that people are blaming her for being reckless... but i'm not sure if they're right 
. and what's weird is that vonn herself seems so calm about the whole thing, like she knows she took a risk 
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I mean, come on, 41 years old? She's still got it! People are saying she was reckless, but honestly, ski racing is crazy at any age. The speed, the risk... it's all part of the game. I get that her knee injury was a concern, but not having anything to do with the crash doesn't mean she wasn't being cautious enough. And yeah, maybe she should've sat out if her dad said so 
, but what's next? Her career ending just because of one bad day? No way! She's still got spirit, and I respect that 
I don't think it's fair on Lindsey Vonn to be judged for what happened. She's been skiing since she was a kid and she knows the risks involved. The gate thing sounds super sketchy though 
, but like Cashman said, people who don't understand ski racing just don't know how it works 
You can't go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending. - C.S. Lewis 
I don't think it's fair to bash Lindsey Vonn for not being reckless, you know? She said she had no regrets about competing and her injury was already a thing before Sunday's crash. The speed of downhill racing is crazy, btw! 
Her statement that the injury was unrelated to the crash, backed up by her teammate and others familiar with ski racing, should be taken at face value. 
The speed and intensity of the sport make it challenging for athletes to control their movements, and accidents can happen even with proper training and precautions. 
It's essential to consider the complexities of ski racing and the physical risks involved before making judgments about athletes' decisions. 
It's no wonder her arm got hooked on a gate and twisted around. But still, I'm curious to know what really happened that day. Was she just being reckless or was there something more going on?
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Her dad is right, she should know when to hang up her skis. And what if the ACL issue was more serious than we think? 
. Like, what was she thinking? 
. And now she's saying it had nothing to do with her knee injury 
. The fact that the speed was going over 70mph makes it harder to blame her for not being more careful... I mean, she clipped a gate and twisted around - it was an accident 
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. and i agree with her teammate keely cashman - people who don't understand ski racing just can't imagine what it's like to be in those situations 
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. I mean, 41 is old for skiing, but she's clearly not ready to hang up her skis just yet. I think it's awesome that she's taking control of her own life and career, even if it means putting herself at risk. Her teammate Keely Cashman's explanation about the accident makes sense - that gate was like a ninja sword waiting to take out an unsuspecting skier! 
It's also cool to see experts like Johan Eliasch standing up for athletes' autonomy. Vonn might be 41, but she's still got the skills and determination to make it happen on the mountain. And honestly, can we blame her? She's a legend in the sport and I'd want to go out on my own terms too 
