GOLDEN GIRL GOES DOWN!!!!!!!!!! VONN CRASHES IN TRAINING!!!!!

[summit]

I don't think LV treated MK the best as she was coming up.

[yeahman]

Wow that's awesome.

[Last Chair]

Quote from an AP article today:Vonn was the only one of the eight U.S. skiers competing who did not take part in the podium celebration for Johnson and Shiffrin.

[beaterdit]

She's having a hard time with not being at the top of the game and the center of attention. No one's ever said she's without flaws and here they are on display. Raw talent aside, she's got a lot of work to do if she wants to be competitive and it's far from given it's actually possible for her. She'll likely have to find some humility along the way somehow. A tall order.

[plugboots]

She'll likely have to find some humility along the way somehow. A tall order.

Or not.
Yeah, I love watching pure talent and sometimes people have pretty crazy personalities that sometimes seem to come as part of it, but I have to say, with her, it is getting a little tiring.

[TBS]

^^^Yup, solo sports athletes tend to be pretty self centered. But Vonn is kinda over the top IMO.
So far the skiing press has been fawning over her comeback. That probably will cease if the results stay mediocre. Then the story will be Lyndsey Teh Bitch.

[Hood26]

First thought after seeing the news of the win was pure excitement and then second thought was this is going to be some Vonn drama.

[BmillsSkier]

unfortunately, yeah.

Hate to admit that the second thing I noticed in the Team podium pic was no LV. And you know what was in the IG comments? A response to some random commenter from LV's account said that she had to jet to a CH school function.

[skiJ]

hey, guys - Lindsey and AJ Hurt finished fifteenth, so there is no reason Lindsey would be anywhere near the podium - I am in the camp that Lindsey needs the attention this [ comeback ] gets her. and If a year from now, she is the third or fourth fastest American, she can be on her fifth Olympic team. But while her results are nice for a forty-year old, it saddens me that a young person may Not have an Olympic experience so LindseyVonn can finish sixteenth at her fifth Olympics. ( IF America has no one else... And I find that hard to believe ) Congratulations! To Breezy and Mikaela - and Lauren Macuga, who is racing Great ! !! skiJ

[BmillsSkier]

A couple points, while there was no reason she should be anywhere near standing on the podium for a medal with that 15th, every other US teammate was on the podium for the TEAM gold celebration.

Secondly, I totally agree with your last point skiJ. She should be celebrated for this incredible comeback, but if shes going to take the spot of a young up skier looking to make their first Olympic team (unlikely as you point out since I think the US speed team is looking stacked right now) then this whole exercise is a disservice to the team.

[jackstraw]

A couple points, while there was no reason she should be anywhere near standing on the podium for a medal with that 15th, every other US teammate was on the podium for the TEAM gold celebration.

Secondly, I totally agree with your last point skiJ. She should be celebrated for this incredible comeback, but if shes going to take the spot of a young up skier looking to make their first Olympic team (unlikely as you point out since I think the US speed team is looking stacked right now) then this whole exercise is a disservice to the team.

Isn't that on the coaches to tell her she's done and make room for the young guns?

[The AD]

I certainly wouldn't say her performances so far suggests that she's "done." She might not have a podium yet, but she's been competitive.

[gaijin]

Nah... put all that agism aside to make room for the young ones. This is ski racing. The clock is all that matters. "You should retire and make room for younger athletes." GTFO. Anyone attending their 5th olympics is a goddamn legend and way more inspiring than some eighteen year-old making their first olympics.

[alias_rice]

Nah... put all that agism aside to make room for the young ones. This is ski racing. The clock is all that matters. "You should retire and make room for younger athletes." GTFO. Anyone attending their 5th olympics is a goddamn legend and way more inspiring than some eighteen year-old making their first olympics.

My thoughts exactly. High level sports is the ultimate meritocracy. If she is good enough to qualify, she should for sure go. It’s not her responsibility to make room for the younguns, it’s their job to take it from her.

[Danno]

100% to the last 2 posts

[Danno]

The fact that she's been top 10 and top 20 in world cup downhill after being out of ski racing for five years, after knee replacement, at the age of 40? I don't think people are appreciating how fucking incredible that is.

If after all that she can qualify on the merits, after the career she's had, you're damn right she gets to go. I think some of y'all are letting your haterade cloud your judgement as a fan of skiing, as a fan of sport, as a fan of athletic greatness. FFS.

[gaijin]

Oh... and I find her need for attention, her predictive drama, and her high-maintenance to be refreshing, to be honest. The Louis Vuitton of ski racing is a dope show. Vonn is the 2025, female version of Tomba.

[The AD]

Agree with the sentiment that she belongs at the Olympics if she earns it from her results. I've always hated the "give the young kids a chance" theory. The get their chance when they earn it by outperforming other athletes.

[jackstraw]

Explain how she "earned" it by retiring and then waltzing back onto the team without racing.
Then a complete meltdown because she didn't get paired with the GOAT.

Yeah, she was great and is still good, but it's over.

[The AD]

<p>
I never said she HAS earned it, but if she DOES earn it then she deserves to be on the team.</p>
<p>
Frankly I don&#39;t understand how you can say its over based on her results so far.</p>

[skiJ]

well,,, we touched a nerve with that one - and I will stand by my earlier post, with one or three additions ;

jackstraw is right > no one else comes out of retirement and gets to immediately join the "A" team without producing some results - NorAm, EuropaCup ; and please remember, the four races before the Championship were three dnfs ;

please spare me your profanities about ageism -
in my earlier post, I said if she has the results, she will make the team
( I don't consider 2.5seconds back to be a competitive result ; I am not in the camp that believes it enhances her 'legend' to finish 16th at age forty
( to me, it is sad. ) )

to those who believe 'the clock is the only thing that matters. ' I would offer, Only on race day - And
LV's lobbying for team assignment in the (team) combined - contrary to USST clearly defined protocol, I believe is an excellent example of this and reminded me of a decade of behavior to undermine J.Mancuso that did not to enhance the "legend" to me ;

finally, back to the ageism profanity,
I believe Lauren Macuga recently came from the second seed (32?) to win her first DH -
Please spare me your profanity ...

And
I believe this will mostly "all shake out in the wash. "
LV has acknowledged - written - that she is not where she needs to be to do what she wants to do in 2026.
I wish her well and I wish her luck - And most of all, I wish he Good health !

skiJ

[jackstraw]

<p>
I never said she HAS earned it, but if she DOES earn it then she deserves to be on the team.</p>
<p>
Frankly I don't understand how you can say its over based on her results so far.</p>

Umm, based on her results, it's over. She's in the top 40, so she's clearly a good racer and formerly the best DH racer, but you really think she's going to podium?

Watching her ski in her prime was amazing and she is clearly the best woman's DH ever.

[beaterdit]

Maybe it’s over, maybe it’s not. She’s doing ok, she might have more in her. She’s really just getting started on this comeback. We’ll see if she can improve.

[Danno]

<p>

Umm, based on her results, it&#39;s over. She&#39;s in the top 40, so she&#39;s clearly a good racer and formerly the best DH racer, but you really think she&#39;s going to podium? Watching her ski in her prime was amazing and she is clearly the best woman&#39;s DH ever.

</p>
<p>
&nbsp;</p>
<p>
She has already had a 6th place finish in DH and a 4th place finish in Super-G, and skied out in another race while on track to land on the podium. And that is after being back on the circuit for only a few weeks. How can you be so sure she is not going to podium?</p>

[jackstraw]

<p>
</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>
She has already had a 6th place finish in DH and a 4th place finish in Super-G, and skied out in another race while on track to land on the podium. And that is after being back on the circuit for only a few weeks. How can you be so sure she is not going to podium?</p>

I'm not. Maybe she will. Odds are not in her favor, but anything is possible from a skier of her caliber, but if I was a betting man I'd bet against it.

Look at all the free skiers from the past . They're all still great skiers, but only one comes to mind that still can charge as hard as the young guns @40+. So maybe she is that "one" too, but we all know timed gates is a different ballgame. Time will tell.