One month before the beginning of the Sochi Olympics, Lindsey Vonn announced that she will not be able to compete due to an injury in her right knee.
Vonn's publicist, Lewis Kay, said that the athlete "will have surgery shortly."
In a Facebook post, Vonn said, "I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level. I'm having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February."
According to ESPN, Vonn tore two ligaments in her right knee during a crash at the world championships back in February, putting her in the sidelines for ten months. She had another setback when she re-tore her surgically repaired anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a training this past November. After a set of races in Alberta in early December, she again sprained her medial collateral ligament during a race in Val d'Isere, France.
Kay said, in a Washington Post report, that an MRI showed that Vonn had an MCL sprain, coupled with her torn ACL, making it impossible for Vonn to be ready to ski next month.
Her departure from the games will turn the focus of fans to other American racers, including Ted Ligety from Utah, who won three events in the 2013 World Championships.
For the women's category, reigning world champion in Slalom, Mikaela Shiffrin, and three-time Olympic medalist Julia Mancuso, will be the best candidates for United States to reach the Alpine skiing podium.
The U.S. team garnered the highest total of medals at any Olympics game, twice more as any other country, but with Vonn in the sidelines, the eight-medal record may be tough to reach this year.
Bill Marolt, CEO and president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, told ESPN, "In looking ahead, I have every ounce of confidence that Lindsey will be in the starting gate next World Cup season ready to compete. She knows the hard work it takes to get to the top and still has significant goals to achieve in what has been an incredible career.''
He also added, "We have a strong team that is well prepared to challenge. The women's speed team is experienced with five athletes who have achieved World Cup podiums and a seasoned veteran in Julia Mancuso who has won three Olympic medals in her career. Now is the time for those athletes to step up.''