Olympic ski racer Lindsey Vonn sustained two torn knee ligaments in a crash on Tuesday. She was competing in the world Alpine Championship when she fell. Her right knee twisted as she landed a jump which led her to tumble down the mountain at a high speed.
Lindsey Vonn (Photo credit: nick step)
Doctors stated that she has a torn anterior cruciate ligament and medical collateral ligament in that right knee. She also fractured her tibia. Vonn will require reconstructive knee surgery in order to be able to continue defending her titles.
Lindsey Vonn has won the World Cup title 4 times and has a gold medal for Olympic downhill skiing. She is the only American with this high of a number of wins in the World Cup.
The skier will have to miss the rest of this winter season, but she will be back in 2014, especially for the Winter Games. As a risk-taking athlete, Vonn has seen her share of dreadful falls, collisions and injuries. This particular race had started out with some trouble. According to officials, the race was delayed due to foggy weather multiple times. In the remaining sun, the competition was lackluster until the fall.
She was in the middle of the race’s course when her turn forced her to arc to the left in the midst of an aerial jump. Her hands were not placed properly as they were flailing behind her chest instead of clamped tight in front. This created a lack of balance that caused her right leg to hyperextend as she flipped. Vonn needed to be airlifted to a hospital almost immediately after she landed on the side of the trail, away from the fence.
Anterior cruciate ligament (surrounded by synovium) during knee arthroscopy. Lateral epicondylus of the femur can be seen to the right. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Unfortunately, Vonn had already missed a few weeks of the World Cup this year while she battled an intestinal sickness that had left her weak and hospitalized in November.
Lindsey has incurred a concussion, bruised back, broken finger and a shin injury in the past. All of these situations had caused her to be sidelined from races or forced her to continue through the pain. The skier has shown that she does not let a hurt body get in her way.
It is about a year before the Winter Olympics that will be held in Russia where she will, no doubt, compete.
If you have been in an accident that has caused personal injuries, contact a personal injury lawyer.
