ST.MORITZ, Switzerland — Lindsey Vonn didn't just show up at the hospital one day, get a new titanium knee made, and then decide she wanted to return to downhill ski racing.
This was a long and calculated process that spanned several minor and several major knee surgeries, careful scrutiny of related medical issues, and then several months. snow test She traveled to New Zealand, Austria and Colorado to see how her 40-year-old body and new knee reacted.
So as she prepares to take to the World Cup starting gate this weekend for the first time in nearly six years for the super-G race in St. Moritz on Saturday and Sunday, she is disgusted by the behavior of some of her fellow ski champions. are. One wonders why she would return to the sport's most dangerous discipline at such an advanced age.
“I've been thinking about upgrading for a few years now. I've done a lot of research. I know people think I'm crazy, but I'm actually kind of smart. I know some of the doctors because I've done some surgeries. I talked to them a lot,” Bonn said. “I talked to (extreme skier) Chris Davenport, who also had partial knee replacement surgery and skis about 150 days a year. … So that gave me a lot of confidence.”
Vonn got most of her medical advice from orthopedic surgeon Tom Hackett of the Stedman Clinic in Vail, Colorado. Tom Hackett has undergone knee and arm surgery and is on the U.S. Ski Team.
“He was like my guide. He helped me interview doctors all over the world to make sure they were getting this treatment for the right reasons,” Bon said. he said. “Many doctors have told me that they can cure me and make me better. But in general, it's probably not true to say that right away.”
Hackett helped Vonn find Martin Roche, a South Florida-based orthopedic surgeon who specializes in complex knee conditions.
Hackett had already performed a “preparatory” surgery in July 2023 to delay the need for a replacement, while also preparing other parts of Vonn's knee for an eventual replacement.
Then, in April, Roche performed robot-assisted replacement surgery, removing part of Bonn's knee bone and replacing it with another bone. 2 titanium pieces.
“Once you commit to something, you have to commit,” Vonn said. “Once they cut you open, that's it. So I did all the research on the front end and now I'm getting results on the back end.”
Pirmin Zurbriggen suggests Vonn could 'tear his artificial knee to pieces'
But Vonn, who achieved a record 43 World Cup downhills before retiring in 2019, hasn't always received a warm welcome from some famous retired skiers.
Two-time Olympic champion Michaela Dorfmeister suggested: “Bon should see a psychologist,” adding on Austrian television: “Does she want to commit suicide?”
“She has gone completely insane,” said Austrian downhill legend Franz Kramer.
“Von risks tearing his artificial knee to pieces,” four-time World Cup overall champion Pirmin Zurbriggen told Swiss tabloid Blick on Wednesday, warning skeptics of his name. added. And she won't be able to play any sport properly for the rest of her life. ”
“In recent years, I feel like Vonn has not recognized the meaning and purpose of her other life,” Zurbriggen added. “She's probably suffering from the fact that she's no longer a celebrated champion.”
After Mr. Zurbriggen's comments were published, Vonn fired back on social media..
“I'm pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future,” she wrote to X on Wednesday. “Did they all become doctors? I missed it, because they talk like they know more than the best doctors in the world.”
Bong is inspired by Simone Biles
No woman over the age of 34 has ever won a World Cup race. However, there are several men who have achieved great success in the sport near or beyond the age of 40.
In January 2023, at the age of 42, Johan Clary became the oldest person to finish on the podium with a second-place finish at the famous Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbühel, Austria.
“I'm not the first to do this. I'm probably the first woman to do it in ski racing. Simone Biles is a perfect example of what you can do even at an advanced age. And she’s not old yet,” Vonn said of the gymnast. Oldest woman to win Olympic individual all-around title in nearly 75 years He will be 27 years old at this year's Paris Games.
“That's just outside the range of what we think is the appropriate age for this sport,” Vonn said. “I don't think I'm reinventing the wheel. I'm just doing what I think is right for me, but at the same time continuing to do what other women have done before me. ”
