For her comeback, Lindsey Vonn was sharply criticized by many. It should take until the last speed race of the season to let these critics fall silent.
It was a fairy tale book final for Lindsey Vonn: After the sensational pretender at the home race in Sun Valley, at the last speed race of the season, was sensationally raced onto the podium, she broke out into tears. The cameras later caught the 40-year-old, as she crouched and cried in the finish area. And even in the interviews after the race, thick tears rolled over the cheeks of the record athlete. “It was a tough season in which people said I couldn’t, I was too old, I was no longer good enough”said Vonn at NBC Sports and added: “I think I showed it to everyone.”
Vonn not only showed the critics, Venn also wrote – or again – ski history: second place in Sun Valley was her 137th times on a World Cup podium. She is now the oldest woman who has ever been on a Super-G-Stockerl. So far, the Austrian Alexandra Meissnitzer has held this record with just 34 years. Vonn is six years older.
Wasmeier, clip, village master spurned Lindsey Vonn
Many former ski greater spurned the American’s decision to try again: 40 years old. After more than five years of break. With a knee part prosthesis. That seemed to cross the imagination of many people. The German ski legend Markus Wasmeier called Vonn’s plans one “Fare”Franz Klammer attested her “Full shot“, the Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister said Vonn needed a psychologist.
Vonn got a lot more than Marcel Hirscher, who had also returned after a long break, but suffered a cruciate ligament tear after only a few World Cup races. Where Hirscher’s comeback was celebrated and at most referred to as a “marketing gag” for his ski company, Vonn’s critic attacked her verbally and personally.
Marco Büchel senses sexism in Vonn discussion
Only the ZDF Alpin expert and former ski racer Marco Büchel sensed sexism in the discussion: “Marcel Hirscher is praised in the sky, on Lindsey Vonn you put a”So it summarized Büchel. “At Hirscher the tenor was positive, negative at Vonn. “He asked the question in the room: “Is it because she is a woman? Or because she has a Titan knee?”
Because the condition of Vonn’s knee also caused all sorts of excitement and many headlines: some referred to it as an art knee, the others as a plastic joint, there was talk of a partial denture. The fact is: Vonn had to struggle with her knee during the first part of her career, an intervention now allows her to ski – at top level.
Lindsey Vonn Will Olympic medal fetch
On Sunday she showed that her knee can withstand even difficult World Cup slopes such as the “Challenger” route: the many closely lined up curves, the steep sloping slopes-her joint bristled down. The fact that Vonn was second on Sunday is also remarkable because the Americans’ strengths are actually lying when gliding. Sleit passages and flat sections, where it often crouches deeply, the skis flattens, there was no mountain soon.
The fun park-like route, however, demanded a thing to the athletes that Vonn has a lot of: courage. Again and again Vonn caused a smile in her usual relaxed interviews when she said that you had to “Balls“, so have eggs to ski -run quickly. On Sunday, Venn proved: Die “Balls” Has she still holds her knee, the critics were able to mute her for the time being.
But she wants to fulfill her last big dream as a ski racer next season: on her favorite route in Cortina d’Ampezzo, she wants to get an Olympic medal.