By GRAHAM DUNBAR
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn crashed in her remaining downhill race earlier than the Winter Olympics on Friday and was airlifted from the course for medical checks, a troubling flip for the 41-year-old U.S. ski star only a week earlier than the Milan Cortina Video games.
Vonn — the third skier to crash within the World Cup race in Crans-Montana — misplaced management when touchdown a bounce and ended up tangled within the security nets on the higher portion of the course.
She obtained up after receiving medical consideration for about 5 minutes, seemingly in ache and utilizing her poles to regular herself. Vonn then skied slowly to the end line, stopping a few occasions on the way in which down and clutching her left knee.
The race, which was held in tough circumstances with low visibility, was canceled after Vonn’s crash.
It wasn’t instantly clear how the crash would influence Vonn’s Olympic preparations. The American, who was anticipated to be one of many greatest stars of the Video games, limped right into a tent for medical consideration earlier than being airlifted away by helicopter, dangling from a hoist cable with two individuals attending her.
The U.S. Ski Crew stated on social media that she was being evaluated.
Earlier than she entered the tent, Vonn had an anxious expression on her face and her eyes had been closed throughout an extended embrace with teammate Jacqueline Wiles, who was main the race when it was canceled.
“I know she hurt her knee, I talked to her,” the Worldwide Ski and Snowboard Federation CEO Urs Lehmann instructed reporters within the end space. “I don’t know if it’s really heavy and (if) she won’t miss the Olympics. Let’s wait for what the doctors are saying.”
Vonn made a surprising comeback final season at age 40 after practically six years away from ski racing. Snowboarding with a partial titanium implant in her proper knee, she has been the circuit’s main downhiller this season with two victories and three different podium finishes within the 5 races.
Together with super-G, Vonn had accomplished eight World Cup races this season and completed on the rostrum in seven of them. Her worst end was fourth.
The crash occurred precisely every week earlier than the Milan Cortina opening ceremony.
Vonn’s first Olympic race is the ladies’s downhill on Feb. 8. She was additionally planning on competing within the super-G and the brand new staff mixed occasion on the Video games.
Girls’s snowboarding on the Olympics will likely be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the place Vonn holds the report of 12 World Cup wins.
Vonn was additionally planning on racing a super-G in Crans-Montana on Saturday in what would have been her remaining race earlier than the Video games.
Tough race circumstances
Vonn was the sixth racer in Friday’s downhill and had registered the quickest time on the first checkpoint earlier than touchdown a bounce off-balance. She lifted her left arm and pole excessive into the air in an try and regain her steadiness. As she tried to brake, she obtained spun round and ended up within the nets.
Two different skiers had additionally crashed earlier than her: Nina Ortlieb of Austria and Marte Monsen of Norway.
Ortlieb crashed on high in the identical space as Vonn and Monsen hit the nets simply earlier than the end space and needed to be taken away in a sled. The race was delayed after each of these crashes. However then two racers — Wiles and Corinne Suter, the Olympic champion, accomplished their runs.
Wiles barely may make the tight remaining left-hand flip that had tricked Monsen.
Romane Miradoli of France, who did full her run because the second to begin, stated visibility was a difficulty, with snow falling.
“You can’t see,” Miradoli stated, “and it’s bumpy everywhere.”
Requested if it was harmful, Miradoli added, “We just couldn’t see well.”
Vonn has had quite a few crashes in her profession. One in every of her worst was on the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, throughout a super-G that was additionally held in tough circumstances. Vonn then needed to be airlifted off the course and tore aside her proper knee. She returned the next season, obtained damage once more and missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
Crans-Montana tributes
The race began Friday in a subdued temper in Crans-Montana which is dealing with the trauma of a devastating hearth in bar within the early hours of New 12 months’s Day that killed 40 individuals and injured greater than 100. A minute’s silence was noticed earlier than racing.
The end space stripped of coloration and the same old sponsor adverts. As a substitute, it was dressed with white and black banners that includes a ribbon with the phrases “Our thoughts are with you” written in French, German, Italian and English.
