Lindsey Vonn is grappling with a profound physical and emotional recovery following her terrifying crash at the Winter Olympics, leaving the future of her illustrious skiing career hanging in the balance.
The 41-year-old athlete has endured eight surgeries after suffering a complex left leg fracture during the women’s downhill skiing race on 8 February – an injury so severe it nearly necessitated an amputation. She faces at least one more operation to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the same knee.
Should Vonn decide to race again – a decision she is not yet prepared to make – a return to competition would be at least a year and a half away, she told The Associated Press in an interview on Wednesday. 'I just don’t want to jump to any conclusions or even speculate on what I might do,' Vonn stated. 'I may retire. I may never race again and that would be completely fine, but I’m not in a position emotionally to make that decision at this point.'
Vonn believes she might have considered retirement had she been able to complete a comeback season that rivaled her career best. She had ended a six-year absence from the sport primarily to compete at Cortina, Italy, a favoured course and the future venue for the Milan Cortina Games. The winner of three Olympic medals, including a downhill gold in 2010, crashed just 13 seconds into the race.
While Vonn has a history of returning from various injuries – including a titanium implant in her right knee – she describes this latest setback as fundamentally different. 'It’s a much different injury in that way, again, like the severity of the injury and understanding that I could have lost my leg and how bad things were,' Vonn said. 'I can deal with a lot of pain, but this was so extreme. It’s not even been in the universe of pain with this injury as what I’ve had before.'
Vonn is making progress in her rehabilitation, both in and out of the gym, though not as swiftly as she would prefer. She has transitioned from a wheelchair to crutches – a mode of mobility she finds tiresome – and is expected to begin walking short distances next week. Ultimately, Vonn will decide if she wants to race again. For now, her primary focus is on restoring her leg to full health. Only then can she begin to contemplate a career that may or may not be over.
