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US Skiing Star Lindsey Vonn Hospitalized After Devastating Crash
US skiing legend Lindsey Vonn was airlifted to hospital following a severe crash during the women’s downhill racing event at the Winter Olympics, suffering a broken leg that required immediate surgery.
The 41-year-old Vonn, who was competing despite a completely torn ACL, crashed just 12 seconds into her run at Cortina d’Ampezzo. The incident cast a shadow over the event as spectators fell into an eerie silence while medical staff attended to her for approximately 10 minutes before the helicopter evacuation.
“Vonn is in stable condition and in good hands with a team of American and Italian physicians,” read an official statement from Team USA, confirming she was undergoing surgery to stabilize her broken left leg. The injury marks a devastating setback for Vonn, who was competing in her sixth Olympic Games, having made her debut back in 2002.
The crash overshadowed what had already been an eventful day of competition across several Olympic venues.
American Gold Medalist’s Medal Mishap
In a moment that quickly went viral, women’s downhill gold medalist Breezy Johnson accidentally broke her newly acquired prize during a television interview. The American skier, an enthusiastic knitter, was told she would receive a message from British diving champion and fellow knitting enthusiast Tom Daley.
Johnson’s excitement at hearing this news caused her to bounce up and down, snapping her gold medal from its lanyard and sending it crashing to the floor.
“Tom Daley, I broke my medal for you,” Johnson exclaimed in the aftermath of the accident. She later took to Instagram seeking recommendations for a custom carrying case, as she could no longer wear the damaged medal around her neck.
Australia’s Coady Advances in Nail-Biting Qualification
Australian snowboarder Tess Coady narrowly qualified for the women’s big air final after an anxious wait. The 2022 slopestyle bronze medalist was the first competitor to perform, leaving her to watch 28 rivals attempt to surpass her combined score of 153.50 points.
As the qualifying session progressed, Coady was bumped down to 12th place – the final qualifying position – with 11 competitors still to go. To her relief, no one managed to better her score, allowing her to advance alongside compatriot Meila Stalker.
Cameras caught Coady’s visible relief in the holding area as she wiped imaginary sweat from her brow. Both Australians will compete in the final scheduled for Tuesday at 5:30am AEDT.
Austrian Veteran’s Memorable Celebration
Forty-year-old Austrian Benjamin Karl delivered one of the Games’ most memorable celebrations after defending his parallel giant slalom gold medal from the Beijing Olympics.
Trailing for much of the men’s final, Karl mounted a late comeback to secure victory. His immediate reaction was to tear off his shirt despite the freezing Italian temperatures, flex his muscles in triumph, and then dramatically fling himself face-first into the snow.
The topless celebration quickly became a viral moment from the Games, highlighting the raw emotion and joy that comes with Olympic success, particularly for the veteran competitor who has now claimed gold medals in consecutive Winter Olympics.
American Athletes Navigate Super Bowl Viewing Challenges
While Australians are accustomed to odd hours for international sporting events, American bobsleigh athletes Joshua Williamson and Boone Niederhofer shared their plans for watching the Super Bowl from Italy, where kickoff occurred at 12:30am local time.
“My plan is to wake up and watch maybe the second half or the fourth quarter to make sure I’m still doing my job here,” explained Williamson. “I’ll probably just watch it on my phone in bed.”
Niederhofer, who played college football for Texas A&M before becoming an Olympian, outlined a similar strategy: “I think we’re going to stay up and watch kick-off and then take a two-hour nap, wake up and watch the fourth quarter. I’m okay forfeiting the half-time show.”
The bobsleigh program is scheduled to begin Thursday night AEDT, giving the athletes a few days to recover from their late-night football viewing before their Olympic competition begins.
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8 Comments
That’s a real shame about Lindsey Vonn’s injury. She’s such an inspiring athlete and it’s heartbreaking to see her go down like that in her final Olympics. Wishing her a full and speedy recovery.
Agreed, Vonn is a true legend of the sport. Crashes like that are always concerning, but I’m glad to hear she’s in stable condition and getting the medical care she needs.
Wow, what a dramatic day at the Winter Olympics! Breezy Johnson’s medal mishap is pretty funny, though I’m sure she didn’t find it very amusing at the time. Gotta be careful with those precious medals.
Haha, yes, that’s a moment she’ll never live down! At least she still gets to keep the gold, even if the medal itself is a little worse for wear.
It’s great to see American athletes like Johnson performing so well at the Olympics. Winning gold is an incredible achievement, even if the medal itself didn’t survive the celebration intact.
Absolutely, these Olympic competitors put in so much hard work and dedication. A little medal mishap is nothing compared to the honor of standing on that podium.
The Winter Olympics always bring such dramatic moments. Vonn’s injury is a real bummer, but it’s part of the risks these athletes take to compete at the highest level. Wishing her all the best in her recovery.
I’m curious to hear more about the details of Vonn’s injury and the surgery she’s undergoing. Broken legs are always tricky, especially for an athlete at the peak of their career. Hoping the recovery process goes smoothly for her.