Coach of Lindsey Vonn says ‘little doubt’ injured skier will race in Olympics

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Lindsey Vonn wanted to make use of a crutch to get round over the weekend. Now she's performing field jumps, understanding in a pool whereas sporting a weighted vest and snowboarding at excessive pace.

No surprise the 41-year-old American is so optimistic she will compete within the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics downhill on Sunday regardless of a ruptured ACL in her left knee.

"I am fairly assured that she will nonetheless pull off this dream," Chris Knight, Vonn's head coach, advised The Related Press on Wednesday. "I've obtained no doubts in my thoughts that that is going to be OK."

Vonn's workforce of two bodily therapists — Lindsay Winninger and Andi Mitterfellner — and health coach Peter Meliessnig have been working time beyond regulation together with her.

"She's been doing field jumps, she's making an attempt all the things out, hundreds and stresses and issues like that to only see the place she's at and see how she feels and she or he's pulled up nice from all the things," Knight stated. "No swelling, no ache."

Vonn stated on Tuesday surgical procedure "hasn't been mentioned."

"It is not likely on my radar display proper now. The Olympics are the one factor that I am fascinated by," she stated. "On daily basis my knee's gotten higher. And each day we're discussing with a full medical workforce, docs, physios, everybody, to ensure we're doing all the things to ensure I'm making sensible and secure selections."

WATCH | Vonn to put on brace in Olympic races for 'ruptured' knee ligament: Lindsey Vonn to ski with a knee brace after rupturing ACL

After rupturing the ACL in her left knee in a crash on Friday, American ski star Lindsey Vonn says she is "assured" she will compete on the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics with a knee brace. Vonn had a partial titanium alternative inserted into her proper knee in 2024 and returned to ski racing final season after almost six years of retirement.

Now she additionally has bone bruising and meniscal injury in her left knee, although her docs will not be certain if the meniscal subject is a results of her newest harm or from her lengthy collection of mishaps earlier in her profession.

"She's not 20 years previous, she's 40 years previous. And we're not something previous this 12 months anyway," Knight stated. "Clearly there's some dangers to only to have the ability to even ski on the degree she needs to ski at. And no person is aware of 100 per cent what is going on to occur. However all the suitable markers and elements are there for us. It is a fairly simple choice to maintain shifting ahead."

Vonn was injured when she misplaced management touchdown a soar in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday, and ended up crashing into the security nets.

"She did have a crutch up till yesterday," Knight stated. "Simply to assist with somewhat little bit of the load-bearing, however now that is gone, too."

WATCH | Vonn crashes laborious in Swiss downhill: Lindsey Vonn crashes laborious throughout downhill race in Switzerland

Lindsey Vonn of the USA crashed into the course netting after situations deteriorated and the race was cancelled Friday on the World Cup downhill in Crans Montana, Switzerland. Thursday downhill coaching cancelled After utilizing a crutch on Monday, Vonn tried some free snowboarding on Tuesday.

"She did some high-speed snowboarding," Knight stated, "and had no points."

Nonetheless, Vonn and her workforce might use some extra time for restoration and Knight stated she would not thoughts if there is a weather-related cancellation of Thursday's opening downhill coaching session. Heavy snow was falling Wednesday, elevating the prospect of a cancellation.

On Wednesday, Thursday's coaching session was referred to as off, Peter Gerdol, chief race director on the Worldwide Snowboarding Federation (FIS), stated.

"You've seen the heavy snowfall is ongoing and the climate forecast doesn't enable us to moderately plan the coaching for tomorrow," Gerdol stated on the workforce captains assembly.

Knight added: "We have to get out of the beginning gate on one coaching run in case one thing occurs additional alongside the road they usually must cancel one thing else."

Two extra coaching periods are scheduled for Friday and Saturday, and Vonn wants to start out at the very least one session to participate in Sunday's race. She would possibly solely do only one.

"We have now to see what the situations are like," Knight stated. "There's numerous choices."

Desires to race for late mother, childhood coach Vonn holds the document of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina and has been racing right here for almost 1 / 4 century, since earlier than a few of her present rivals had been born. She's additionally come again efficiently from accidents of this magnitude earlier than.

"We're on acquainted territory," Knight stated. "That is all the time been an important a part of it, going into this complete comeback 18-month challenge, is that we knew that we might get to a spot the place she's very, very conversant in. Nothing is unknown aside from what's simply occurred."

There's additionally this: Vonn needs to race in honour of her late mom, Lindy, who died in 2022 of ALS, in any other case often called Lou Gehrig's illness, and her childhood coach, Erich Sailer, who died in August aged 99.

She stopped to go to Sailer's grave in Austria on her option to Cortina.

“It is simply so many causes for her to not let go that they are powering her alongside and protecting the adrenaline excessive," Knight stated. "You do not wish to decelerate in these conditions."