CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) 鈥� has done this before. And succeeded.
The 41-year-old American skiing standout is 鈥渃onfident鈥� she can compete at the despite a torn ACL from a crash four days ago.
Vonn said that the damage to her left knee was a 鈥渃ompletely ruptured鈥� ACL, bone bruising 鈥減lus meniscal damage.鈥�
After three days of physical therapy and doctors’ advice, Vonn tried skiing on Tuesday. She did not appear to be limping as she entered and exited a news conference.
鈥淢y knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday,” Vonn said. “And as long as there鈥檚 a chance, I will try . . . I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate.”
in a World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland on Friday and ended up in the safety nets. After skiing to the bottom of the course she was taken to hospital.
Vonn is expected to be one of the biggest stars of the Winter Games, which start Friday with the opening ceremony. Her first race comes two days later in the women鈥檚 downhill. She also plans on competing in super-G and the new team combined event.
The opening women鈥檚 downhill training session is scheduled for Thursday.
鈥淢y intention,鈥� Vonn said, 鈥渋s to race everything.鈥�
Vonn has had long series of injuries, crashes and comebacks
. One of her worst was at the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria during a super-G that was also held in difficult conditions.
Vonn tore her right knee. She returned the following season, got hurt again and missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
She was also battered up before the 2019 world championships but took bronze in downhill before going into a nearly six-year retirement.
鈥淚鈥檝e been in this position before. I know how to handle it,鈥� Vonn said. 鈥淚 feel a lot better now than I did in 2019 . . . And I still got a medal there with no LCL and three tibial plateau fractures. So, like I said, this is not an unknown for me. I鈥檝e done this before.鈥�
She persevered through a bruised shin that she treated with topfen cheese before winning gold in downhill at the 2010 Games.
鈥淚 don’t need topfen now. My knee isn’t swollen,鈥� Vonn said.
It’s a home remedy whereby the cheese is applied to the offending area and helps to reduce swelling.
鈥淭his would be the best comeback I鈥檝e done so far,” Vonn said. “Definitely the most dramatic.鈥�
Other skiers have competed with similar injuries
Teammate Bella Wright said Vonn has what it takes 鈥� a strong mental state 鈥� to ski through her injuries.
鈥淚f anyone can do it, it鈥檚 Lindsey,鈥� Wright said.
Breezy Johnson, the downhill and combined world champion, was in a similar situation to Vonn at Cortina during a World Cup weekend in 2022.
鈥淚鈥檝e tried and failed to ski this course with no ACL and that doesn鈥檛 mean that she can鈥檛 do it,鈥� Johnson said. 鈥淭here are more athletes that ski without ACLs and with knee damage than what we talk about.鈥�
Andrea Panzeri, the chief physician for the Italian Winter Sports Federation, said numerous athletes have competed at elite level with a torn ACL and other severe knee issues.
Vonn鈥檚 fellow downhiller at the 2022 Olympics weeks after spraining her left knee, partially tearing her ACL and suffering a 鈥渕inor fracture鈥� of the fibula bone in her leg 鈥� plus some tendon damage.
Italian freetsyle skier tore the ACL in her right knee in November but put off surgery until after the Olympics.
Tabanelli is 18, though.
鈥淏ut (Vonn) has experience, the physical ability and the experience on this course,鈥� Panzeri said. 鈥淚f she decides to try and race, it鈥檚 because her clinical condition and her doctors are allowing her to. She doesn鈥檛 have anything to lose. I think it鈥檚 worth a try.鈥�
Vonn has a titanium implant in her right knee
Vonn made a stunning comeback last season after nearly six years away. Skiing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee, she has been the circuit鈥檚 leading downhiller this season with two victories and three other podium finishes in five races.
Including super-G, Vonn completed eight World Cup races and finished on the podium in seven of them. Her worst finish was fourth.
Women鈥檚 skiing during the Games will be in Cortina, where Vonn holds the World Cup record with 12 wins.
She has won three Olympic medals: Gold in downhill and bronze in super-G in 2010 and bronze in downhill in 2018.
Vonn visits grave of childhood coach in Austria
It hasn鈥檛 just been about recovery for Vonn these past few days.
On her way to Cortina, she stopped at the grave of her childhood coach Erich Sailer, who died in August aged 99.
Sailer coached Vonn at Buck Hill in Minnesota. He鈥檚 buried just outside Innsbruck, Austria.
Vonn said she shed some tears during the graveside visit 鈥� the only tears she鈥檚 shed these past few days.
鈥淚 miss him. And I know exactly what he would say to me right now. And it definitely gives me additional hope that I know that he would support me,鈥� Vonn added.
鈥淗e would say, 鈥業t鈥檚 only 90 seconds. What鈥檚 90 seconds in a lifetime? It鈥檚 nothing. You can do it.鈥欌�� Vonn said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what he said to me before my last run in Are, and I know he would say it to me again today.鈥�
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Associated Press writer Jennifer McDermott contributed.
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