Lindsey Vonn's Olympic downhill dreams took a devastating hit when she crashed out of a World Cup event in Switzerland on Friday, but officials are sticking by their assessment that the conditions were safe. The 25-year-old skier was third of the first six to go down after losing control while attempting a jump and sliding awkwardly into the safety nets, injuring her left knee.
According to Peter Gerdol, World Cup race director, it was probably good light in the spot where Vonn made the mistake. However, some have questioned why the event was cancelled at all, with about 25 minutes after Vonn's crash, the decision was made due to safety concerns. Not everyone shared this view, however, with Switzerland coach Roland Assinger stating that racing had been much safer than two weeks ago in Italy.
The cancellation has raised eyebrows, especially given the challenging conditions on the day - a late-afternoon meeting of race and team leaders revealed that the light had dimmed significantly since the 10am start, and was forecast to get worse. Still, the officials maintained that the course design will be reviewed before the two-week world championships in Crans-Montana next year.
The focus now shifts to Vonn's recovery, with her Olympic medal hopes hanging precariously in the balance. The marathon training schedule is no joke, and it remains to be seen if she can regain her form for the marquee women's downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics two weeks later.
According to Peter Gerdol, World Cup race director, it was probably good light in the spot where Vonn made the mistake. However, some have questioned why the event was cancelled at all, with about 25 minutes after Vonn's crash, the decision was made due to safety concerns. Not everyone shared this view, however, with Switzerland coach Roland Assinger stating that racing had been much safer than two weeks ago in Italy.
The cancellation has raised eyebrows, especially given the challenging conditions on the day - a late-afternoon meeting of race and team leaders revealed that the light had dimmed significantly since the 10am start, and was forecast to get worse. Still, the officials maintained that the course design will be reviewed before the two-week world championships in Crans-Montana next year.
The focus now shifts to Vonn's recovery, with her Olympic medal hopes hanging precariously in the balance. The marathon training schedule is no joke, and it remains to be seen if she can regain her form for the marquee women's downhill at the Milan Cortina Olympics two weeks later.
I'm so worried about Lindsey Vonn right now! 
That crash was a huge setback, but I've gotta say, those safety concerns did seem pretty legit 
. But still, 25 minutes after the accident? That's like, super quick decision-making 
. Hope she'll be okay and gets to recover soon 
. And yeah, Olympic medal hopes are on the line now... that marathon training schedule is no joke! 
Fingers crossed for her, though! 
. The safety concerns do make sense though, even if it's a bit weird that they cancelled early. It's not like she just crashed and died or anything 
. I mean, 25 minutes is a pretty short turnaround to re-evaluate the situation. I guess it's all about prioritizing safety over the sport 
. Fingers crossed for her recovery, though - she'll need to be in top shape if she wants to make an Olympic comeback 
️!
like, what if she can't recover from that injury? her olympic hopes are basically gone at this point... 25 minutes after the crash and they're already canceling the event because of safety concerns? i get it, safety is important but shouldn't they've seen how sketchy the light was going to be? 
anyway, i'm sending all my positive vibes to lindsey for her recovery 
hopefully she'll be back on the slopes in no time
like, who expects to see a pro skier fly out of control and end up in the safety nets tho? 
anyway gotta feel bad 4 her since olympic downhill is huge and now it's all about recovery and hoping she can get back on track... 
this is just crazy, can't believe they're saying the conditions were safe when Lindsey Vonn crashes out of a World Cup event... what does that even mean? was it just a case of 'oh, she made a mistake and we'll just let her fall'? 
i mean, 25 minutes after she goes down, they're already cancelling the event? that's so irresponsible... and now Lindsey's Olympic dreams are basically over before they've even started 
and what about all the other skiers who were out on the course too? didn't anyone else have any problems or warnings? it's just not right 
I feel for her, though - it's not easy coming back from an injury like that. I'm sending her all the positive vibes 
and wishing she a speedy recovery 
still hoping she gets back in form tho marathon training is no joke lol, but omg an olympic medal hope hangin by a thread 
I'm rooting for Lindsey, though - she's an amazing skier! But seriously, hope she recovers soon and gets back to her A-game 
. I'm not buying the "course design will be reviewed" line either – that's just PR spin 
. Vonn needs to take care of her knee and come back stronger than ever