In a crucial test of her physical resilience, Lindsey Vonn successfully navigated her first downhill training run on Friday, despite competing with a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee. The American skier clocked an impressive time of 1 minute 40.33 seconds in Cortina d'Ampezzo, keeping her hopes alive for a fourth Olympic medal. When reporters inquired if everything was "all good," Vonn responded with a simple "yeah," showcasing her trademark determination.
Training Delays and Team Camaraderie
The training session faced a delay of over an hour due to dense fog over the Olimpia delle Tofane piste. During this downtime, Vonn entertained her teammates by singing along to Usher tracks, while the Swiss team, including reigning downhill Olympic champion Corinne Suter, passed the time with a game of Yahtzee, highlighting the lighter moments amidst intense competition.
Brignone's Recovery and Confidence Battle
Italy's Federica Brignone was the first to complete the piste, recording a time of 1:40.66. She is pursuing her first Olympic gold after making a remarkable comeback from a double leg break, just in time to compete. Reflecting on her performance, Brignone noted, "Some things were good, some things so-so." She added, "I'm trying to recover my leg because after skiing it's always swollen and painful. I'm also working on my confidence because I'm still missing it," underscoring the mental and physical challenges athletes face.
Curling Success and Celebrity Encounters
In the mixed doubles curling competition, Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat of Team GB delivered standout performances, securing two wins in Friday's round-robin matches. They defeated Sweden 7-4 and South Korea 8-2, with an end to spare in both games. Dodds commented, "We said yesterday there were a couple of things we wanted to work on. We came out today and executed exactly what we wanted to do," indicating their strategic focus and improvement.
Snoop Dogg's Curling Involvement
The Team GB pair experienced a buoyant moment when American rapper Snoop Dogg requested a photo with them. Dodds recounted, "We walked past and we were just kind of like 'there's Snoop Dogg', a bit starstruck and we got ushered back. They said 'he wants a selfie with you' and we said 'OK'. So, if Snoop Dogg's team is reading this, can we please get the photo?" Snoop Dogg, wearing a jacket featuring photos of USA curlers Cory Thiesse and Korey Dropkin, serves as an honorary coach for Team USA and even tried his hand at sweeping a stone on the ice, adding a touch of celebrity flair to the event.
