The International Olympic Committee’s sports director Pierre Ducrey has confirmed that the decision for Lindsey Vonn to compete at the Milan and Cortina Winter Olympics rested entirely with the American skier and her support staff.
The 41-year-old had torn her ACL during a World Cup event shortly before the Games commenced in Italy, yet remained determined to race.
Ducrey declined to pass judgement on whether Vonn should have taken part following her subsequent crash.
“She was able to train and made the choice with the excellent team that she has to take part…this decision was really hers and her team to take,” he stated.
“She made the decision and unfortunately it led to the injury.”
Vonn’s Olympic return ended in devastating fashion just 13 seconds after she began her downhill run.
The skiing legend, competing in the discipline for the first time since claiming gold in 2010, struck a slalom gate and tumbled violently down the course.
The International Olympic Committee’s sports director Pierre Ducrey has confirmed that the decision for Lindsey Vonn to compete at the Milan and Cortina Winter Olympics rested entirely with the American skier and her support staff
|
GETTY
Emergency services transported her by helicopter to hospital, where medical staff operated on a fractured left leg.
Reports from France 24 indicate that additional surgical procedures may be required before she can be discharged.
The incident occurred as Vonn attempted to match the pace set by Breezy Johnson, whose time ultimately proved sufficient to claim the gold medal.
Lindsey Vonn crashed while competing at the Winter Olympics with a serious ACL injury | REUTERS
Vonn’s participation had generated enormous attention in the build-up to the competition.
Johan Eliasch, president of the International Ski Federation, echoed Ducrey’s position on the matter of athlete responsibility.
When posed the same question regarding Vonn’s participation, he maintained that such choices must ultimately lie with the competitor themselves.
Eliasch also sought to provide perspective on the nature of the accident itself.
“What is also important for people to understand is that the accident that she had yesterday, she was incredibly unlucky, one in a thousand,” he explained.
“This is something which is part of ski racing and it’s a dangerous sport.”
Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital after her crash, with the skier sustaining a broken leg | GETTY
The widespread praise Vonn received for her courage in competing despite the serious knee injury had been a prominent narrative before the crash occurred.
Prior to the Games, Vonn’s coach Aksel Lund Svindal had expressed confidence that she possessed the physical capability to challenge for medals despite her damaged knee ligament.
During a shortened practice session on Saturday, she had recorded the third quickest time.
The American currently holds the leading position in the World Cup standings, though this latest setback will almost certainly bring her downhill campaign to a premature conclusion with approximately two months remaining in the season.
Her remarkable comeback story, which had captivated audiences worldwide, now faces an uncertain future as she recovers from the leg fracture sustained in Italy.
