Lindsey Vonn rehab ‘progressing,’ but she’ll miss Beaver Creek event

Olympic downhill champion Lindsey Vonn, who suffered a comeback setback Nov. 19 when she crashed during training in Colorado, has taken herself out of next week’s World Cup races at Beaver Creek, Colo.

Vonn partially tore the right ACL she severed at last February’s World Championships in Austria but is reportedly making steady progress from her most recent crash.

“Lindsey is recovering very quickly from abrasions to her face and contusions to her shoulder blade,” Bill Sterett, U.S. Women’s Alpine Ski Team Head Physician, wrote on the ski team’s website. “Beyond that, she has a stable knee with an MRI finding of a partial tear of her ACL graft. With therapy, she is progressing well while not losing any of the strength she worked so hard to achieve.”

Vonn, 29, will be a gold medal favorite in downhill in Super G at the 2012 Sochi Olympics in February.

She is a four-time World Cup overall champion and her 59 event victories are second only to Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria, who has 62.

Vonn said on Facebook she will try to race in a few weeks at Lake Louise, Canada, a course she has dominated in her career.

Vonn posted this update on her Facebook page:

“Thank you all so much for your support and well wishes. It has been a very difficult few days and your positive messages have helped tremendously. Rehab is going well, and I am working as hard as I can to race in Lake Louise in a few weeks. Thank you again, I’m proud to have the best fans in the world! Love, Lindsey

PS: don’t worry guys, this is only a temporary setback. Nothing will keep me from picking myself back up and continuing to fight for my dreams.”

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