Winter Olympics No Video Thread

[Buzz Rules]

Lindsey Vonn....DNF.

https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/li...mpic-downhill-will-be-evaluated-medical-staff

I hope she is okay medically and mentally.

 

[Buzz Rules]

B. Johnson in gold medal position!

Edit: Breezy wins gold!

 

[jdb in AZ]

Lindsey Vonn crashed just seconds into her run and was airlifted from the hill.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/ot...r&cvid=50597737f95c4a7bd0de1bb378e7b0b1&ei=10

 

[RedAngie]

I'm loving the use of drones for cameras during the speed events. The drones following the skiers in today's downhill provided some amazing shots.

The shadows of the drones were pretty good too.

 

[robinb]

Lindsey Vonn....DNF.

https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/li...mpic-downhill-will-be-evaluated-medical-staff

I hope she is okay medically and mentally.

My hot take: She should have bowed out last week after her injury and allowed the alternate a crack at skiing in the Olympics.

Her injury was serious, not just a scrape or an owie. My DD tore her ACL in high school and could barely walk a week after injuring it, and that was with an articulated brace. I don’t know how Lindsey and her coaches thought she could race competitively without an ACL no matter how fancy and state of the art her brace she wore.

What she did was incredibly selfish and stupid. Now, both she and the US Ski Team are paying the price. I don’t feel one ounce of sympathy for her.

 

[Marrila]

My hot take: She should have bowed out last week after her injury and allowed the alternate a crack at skiing in the Olympics.

Her injury was serious, not just a scrape or an owie. My DD tore her ACL in high school and could barely walk a week after injuring it, and that was with ann articulated brace. I don’t know how Lindsey and her coaches thought she could race competitively without an ACL no matter how fancy and state of the art her brace she wore.

What she did was incredibly selfish and stupid. Now, both she and the US Ski Team are paying the price. I don’t feel one ounce of sympathy for her.

I completely agree with you.

 

[soccerdad72]

My hot take: She should have bowed out last week after her injury and allowed the alternate a crack at skiing in the Olympics.

Her injury was serious, not just a scrape or an owie. My DD tore her ACL in high school and could barely walk a week after injuring it, and that was with an articulated brace. I don’t know how Lindsey and her coaches thought she could race competitively without an ACL no matter how fancy and state of the art her brace she wore.

What she did was incredibly selfish and stupid. Now, both she and the US Ski Team are paying the price. I don’t feel one ounce of sympathy for her.

I tend to agree. If it was anyone but Vonn, that’s probably what would have happened.

Congrats to Breezy Johnson, BTW

 

[robinb]

I tend to agree. If it was anyone but Vonn, that’s probably what would have happened.

Congrats to Breezy Johnson, BTW

She literally stole the opportunity to ski in the Olympics from a team mate just so she could enact a heartwarming and inspiring comeback. Instead of capping off a storied career, she soiled it with selfishness and hubris. I really lost all respect for her.

Edited, I meant to come into this thread earlier in the week to say she should NOT ski.

 

[jdb in AZ]

I just did a web search for Breezy Johnson and ironically she was awarded the 2025 Stifel Alpine Best Comeback (Women) award at the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships. Apparently her knees have been through the wars but she's no quitter either.

FWIW she grew up in Idaho and her name was legally changed from Breanna to Breezy because she liked the nickname.

 

[sam_gordon]

She literally stole the opportunity to ski in the Olympics from a team mate just so she could enact a heartwarming and inspiring comeback. Instead of capping off a storied career, she soiled it with selfishness and hubris. I really lost all respect for her.

Edited, I meant to come into this thread earlier in the week to say she should ski.

So earlier you thought she should ski, but since she DNF, now you're saying she shouldn't? Hindsight is 20/20.

I read somewhere the other day that ACL tears can vary on their effect based on the person and how other muscles/structures in the area can "take up the slack". I'm going to assume her/team doctor's gave her the "OK" to compete.

 

[robinb]

So earlier you thought she should ski, but since she DNF, now you're saying she shouldn't? Hindsight is 20/20.

I read somewhere the other day that ACL tears can vary on their effect based on the person and how other muscles/structures in the area can "take up the slack". I'm going to assume her/team doctor's gave her the "OK" to compete.

Sorry! I’m on my phone and missed the word “not”. I never thought she should ski in this Olympics after her injury.

 

[Marrila]

Sorry! I’m on my phone and missed the word “not”. I never thought she should ski in this Olympics after her injury.

Glad you fixed that!

 

[soccerdad72]

I just did a web search for Breezy Johnson and ironically she was awarded the 2025 Stifel Alpine Best Comeback (Women) award at the Toyota U.S. Alpine Championships. Apparently her knees have been through the wars but she's no quitter either.

FWIW she grew up in Idaho and her name was legally changed from Breanna to Breezy because she liked the nickname.

I would be surprised if there were very many top competitors in skiing who have not had some sort of knee surgery in their career.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Vonn had a top time during the trial runs. Things happen in downhill. If her shoulder doesn’t clip the gate on this run maybe she gets that comeback finish and finds herself on or close to the medal stand.

If her doctors gave her the okay to do it, it’s her call as a competitor whether she goes or not. She earned it, and it’s her life and her body she was putting at whatever risk.

 

[maddiel]

Vonn had a top time during the trial runs. Things happen in downhill. If her shoulder doesn’t clip the gate on this run maybe she gets that comeback finish and finds herself on or close to the medal stand.

If her doctors gave her the okay to do it, it’s her call as a competitor whether she goes or not. She earned it, and it’s her life and her body she was putting at whatever risk.

Is it actually her call? Should it be her call?

I think an athlete should always have the right to withdraw (I'm thinking of the example of Simone Biles), but do coaches have a duty of care to the athlete (and to the team) to keep them from doing something that outside the range of normal hazard for their sport?

 

[georgina]

Amazing to find out the US has other women skiers! From the coverage you would have thought Vonn was the only one. I was really tired of the hype and constant focus on her. It is sad she crashed.

 

[HokieRaven5]

Is it actually her call? Should it be her call?

I think an athlete should always have the right to withdraw (I'm thinking of the example of Simone Biles), but do coaches have a duty of care to the athlete (and to the team) to keep them from doing something that outside the range of normal hazard for their sport?

If the doctors and coaches ultimately gave the okay, then yes, in the end it’s her call.

And again, her shoulder clipping a gate is what threw her off balance and caused her fall today, not anything with her legs.

 

[Marrila]

If the doctors and coaches ultimately gave the okay, then yes, in the end it’s her call.

And again, her shoulder clipping a gate is what threw her off balance and caused her fall, not anything with her legs.

We don't know that.
It's possible the imbalance of a leg with a big brace caused her to veer toward the gate.
We do know she hasn't won gold since 2010. That is a long time ago in elite athlete terms.
I hope she graciously retires again. And stays retired.

 

[robinb]

And again, her shoulder clipping a gate is what threw her off balance and caused her fall today, not anything with her legs.

I agree that the clipped gate is what caused her to fall. However, it’s not clear that it wasn’t the weakness/pain in her knee that caused her to clip the gate in the first place

 

[sam_gordon]

Sorry! I’m on my phone and missed the word “not”. I never thought she should ski in this Olympics after her injury.

Thank you for clarifying. I thought it sounded strange.

I agree with @HokieRaven5. Assuming Vonn got clearance from the doctors and coaches, it's her call. I think saying she "stole" someone else's chance is too harsh.