FILE PHOTO: Alpine Skiing – FIS Alpine World Ski Championships – Women’s Super G – Are, Sweden – February 5, 2019 – Lindsey Vonn of the U.S. reacts. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann/File Photo
ARE, Sweden (Reuters) – Lindsey Vonn sat out women’s downhill training at the Alpine skiing world championships on Wednesday after a high-speed crash in the opening Super-G.
Sunday’s downhill in Are will be the final race of the former Olympic champion’s career after she announced her retirement last week.
The American great, winner of 82 World Cup races who has battled knee injuries throughout her career, sustained a black eye when crashing out of Tuesday’s Super G won by compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin.
All-rounder Shiffrin is not scheduled to enter the downhill and was also absent.
“I feel like I’ve been hit by an 18-wheeler, but other than that I’m great,” Vonn told reporters after her crash. “My knees are the same as they were before the race, so that’s good.
“I’m just going to be really sore, I think my neck’s going to be sore. I got the wind knocked out of me so my ribs are pretty sore. But I’ll be fine, Sunday will be great,” added the 34-year-old.
The U.S. ski team said all three of its downhillers, none of whom took part in the second training run, planned to race on Sunday.
Switzerland’s Jasmine Flury was fastest, ahead of compatriot Lara Gut-Behrami.
Writing by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge