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Remember that man in Iowa who made a habit of winning NCAA wrestling championships after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament? Spencer Lee was in his early 20s at the time, and now a woman in her early 40s is about to attempt a similar feat at the winter Olympics. However this story ends, U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn has to go down as one of the greatest, grittiest competitors in the history of her sport or any other. To be clear, this story’s ending could be very ugly. When a downhill ski run ends before the finish line,
it doesn’t end gently. It can be especially challenging when, thanks to a recent crash, one’s left knee is missing the strong tissue that helps connect the femur to the tibia. But America’s guts player is inclined to give it a go. Ms. Vonn reported Tuesday on Instagram: Well… I completely tore my ACL last Friday. I also sustained a bone bruise (which is a common injury when you tear your ACL), plus meniscal tears but it’s unclear how much of that was there previously and what was new from the crash… After extensive consultations with doctors, intense therapy, physical tests as well as skiing today, I have determined I am capable of competing in the Olympic Downhill on Sunday. Of course I will still need to do one training run, as is required to race on Sunday, but… I am confident in my body’s ability to perform… I know what my chances in these Olympics were before this crash, and even though my chances aren’t the same now, there is still a chance. And as long as I have a chance, I will not lose hope. I will not give up! It’s not over yet! Given that she plans to ski despite this significant injury to her left knee, one might say that her competitive spirit has the strength of titanium—just like parts of her right knee, which was reconstructed after a previous injury.
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