By ANDREW DAMPF, Associated Press Sports Writer
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is “confident” she can compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics beginning this week despite the left knee injury she sustained in a crash four days ago.
Vonn said on Tuesday she “completed ruptured” her ACL, has bone bruising “plus meniscal damage.”
But after three days of physical therapy and consultations with doctors, Vonn went skiing on Tuesday with a brace on her knee.
“It feels stable, it feels strong,” she said, adding she was “confident” to race.
“I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate.”
Vonn crashed in a downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday and ended up in the safety nets. After skiing down to the bottom of the course, she was airlifted away for medical attention.
Vonn, a 41-year-old American, was 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’s downhill on Sunday. Then Vonn was also planning on competing in super-G and the new team combined event.
The opening women’s downhill training session is scheduled for Thursday.
Vonn made a stunning comeback last season at age 40 after nearly six years away from ski racing. Skiing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee, she has been the circuit’s 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’s skiing during the Games will be in Cortina, where Vonn holds the World Cup record with 12 wins.
Vonn has won three Olympic medals: Gold in downhill and bronze in super-G in 2010 and bronze in downhill in 2018.
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