Sunday, December 8, 2013

Lindsey Vonns Comeback in „Lake Lindsey“

©GEPA
At the begin of the week Lindsey was cleared for the Downhill Training in Lake Louise. She trained the weekend before Super G in Vail and her knee felt stable. Her Trainer Alex Hödlmoser said: "She's trying to come back as quick as possible, and it just happens to be that Lake Louise is on the (schedule) right now." It's a very good place for her to come back and try because she's very familiar with the course and had success here." Her surgeon, Dr. Bill Sterett, felt "her knee is stable."

Lindsey started as 10th in the 1st Training Run in Lake Louise and skied solid she got 22nd out of 65 racers. For her 1st time back in the World Cup since 10 months it was a good way to start.

After the training run she said: "Happy to be out there. And, yeah, I'm looking forward to improving for the races, hopefully. It was my first run, so I was, of course, a little bit nervous. First training run. First kind of real race situation since February. So it's been a long time, and I'm really happy. Knee feels good. Feels stable. I'm just trying to make sure things are good with my knee, and build confidence every day, and right now I'm focused on this particular moment. Yeah, Sochi is obviously quite a way's away. Just trying to stay focused and focus on my knee and get my confidence back.“

On Thursday she decided to race on the weekend but not to race in the final training run to rest and be ready for the races on the weekend. She made her decision already Wednesday night. She had no swelling in her right knee after the training run which was the main factor of her decision. 

"You kind of know if your body is ready or not, and I feel ready," she said. She said she was able to ski her race line in the 1st training run and so she didn’t have to take another one. "If I can accomplish that in one run, I don't need a second run. I know this course so well. I don't need to take a bunch of runs for it. To make sure my knee is ready to go for the weekend, it's just a smart choice not to ski today and to go tomorrow.“

In Facebook she posted: “Feels great to be back on the World Cup tour! After some good training at home in Vail and a solid downhill training run yesterday I've decided to take today as a "rest day" but I will be racing tomorrow. I can't wait for my first race!!!“
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1st Downhill (Friday):

It was sunny day unfortunately they had some problems with the snow guns which caused some fog and so they had to postpone the start time for 1 hour. Lindsey came with start number 18 & she had a good Comeback run. She came safe to the finish & everyone was just happy to have her back in the World Cup.

Lindsey herself said: "It was really great to be back. I was really nervous at the start. It was 10 months that i didn't race. I was just too nervous. I was really tight, and I skied that way," she said. "I wasn't in a really deep tuck. I wasn't pushing the line where I could have. And I just kind of skied it, and that's not my style. That's not how I attack a race."
Lindsey also said that her self confidence isn’t as it normally is…"It does take a little time to build the confidence back up. It's been a long time."

She’ll try to risk more in the Downhill on Saturday and hopes to be a bit faster then. 



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©Tom Kelly/U.S. Ski Team



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2nd Downhill (Saturday):

It was another sunny day with freezing temperatures. Lindsey skied a great run much more aggressive & she pumped her fist in the finish! She made a great 11th place and improved a lot from the 1st Downhill on friday! She came safe to the finish which is the most important thing & it was a great performance. Everyone was happy to see her race again & it's inspirational to see how she always builds herself up again and never gives up!

She said: "Yeah, that was much better. A lot more like it. I'm just really happy with the improvements that I made from yesterday. And just in general my whole body language was different. I was more aggressive and just more confident and comfortable."
"You know, yesterday, it felt rusty. Just hadn't done it in so long. I was too nervous. And today it was much more like myself. I still made mistakes and it wasn't my best skiing but it's a long way from where I was yesterday. Hopefully I can continue to improve."

Next up is the Super G in Lake Louise! Let's hope for another sunny day an hopefully a bit warmer temperatures!

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Super G (Sunday):

It was sunny again today and Lindsey had bib 18 again. She had really a great run only one mistake at the Fallaway. She got 5th and made progress again. It's incredible how quick she improved on the weekend and it was a great SG race today of Lindsey.

She said: "Huge step in the right direction," Vonn said Sunday. "A perfect way to end the weekend. I have a lot of self confidence now. Every day I got more and more aggressive, more confident and I feel great. I know I can win again."
"It tells me that I do need a couple more stops. I want to make sure I at least get on the podium once, if not win before going into Sochi. For me mentally I really want to have that in my back pocket."

She will go home now for a few days and think about a plan for the Season with her coaches. "I’m going to be selective in my races this season and I’ll take a few days home, talk to the coaches and determine a plan."

When she isn't racing she'll train in the gym to work on her muscels. "I'm gonna be getting buff. I mean, I lose weight throughout the season, I feel I've already lost some muscle mass so I'm really going to hit the gym hard. That is something I can do with my knee as long as everything is in a straight plane. I can do it, squats, deadlifts. I can really hammer and get some mass going because I'm a little bit on the light side so that's going to be my focus until my next race.

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I'm and i guess all fans are really happy with her results this weekend. It was a great Comeback and I just can't wait to see her race again! I wish her all the best for the next months & just wanted to say all your fans always believed in you Lindsey that you will come back! We knew you would make it & are really proud of what you achieved this weekend! GO LINDSEY GO ;)
xoxo Marion 






Friday, August 30, 2013

❄ ❄ Lindsey Vonn's road back on snow ❄ ❄

It all began on the 5th February when Lindsey crashed bad in Super G at the World Championships. She had a torn ACL and MCL and a lateral tibial plateau fracture. She flew back home to Vail and had her surgery on the 10th February where luckily all went well!


  Lindsey with her mom, Laura and Reed after the surgery

She began to do some workout already two days after her surgery and she posted : "When you fall, get back up."

Lindsey and her sis Laura :) ©Ilana Taub

The plan at that point was that Lindsey can be back on snow in September and compete in ski races in Lake Louise or maybe also Beaver Creek! She wasn't able to do a lot at that time because she was on crutches and so it was a hard time for her!

Lindsey's knee some days after her surgery

After two weeks Lindsey had a check up with her doctor where she had an X-ray. She posted that all went well and she is making progress.


the X-ray of Lindsey's knee

On the 26th March was a huge day for Lindsey cause she was down to one crutch! In an interview with Alexandra Meissnitzer she said:"I was at the six week check up with my doctor and it looks good. Now I only have one crutch and I’m really glad about that. Hopefully tomorrow I’m without crutches. I’ve not much pain and the swelling is good. It was a bit difficult the last couple of weeks because it was very boring. I can’t do so much. I made therapy with Patrick from Red Bull. He came from Europe and was with me the last couple of weeks. But I needed a lot of help because I couldn’t do something with my hands because I always had crutches. That was really difficult for me.”



 

In the ORF Interview Lindsey talked about her therapy. She had two schedules on a day. Normally from 9 till 11am and a strength training for her upper body. She could do a bit rowing with the left leg but not so much endurance training. Then she had lunch and then another time therapy from 3 till 5pm and then diner. 


On the 7th April Lindsey posted that her rehab is going well & that she is able to do double leg squats already! 

 


On the 17th May Lindsey posted again about her workout and added that she is making progress :) 

 

 


On the 29th May Lindsey was in Vail to see her doctor and she posted that she had a great apt with Dr Sterett in Vail & her knee is looking good!!

 

 


She also posted Vine videos about her workout in Vail :) 



 

Around the 4th July Lindsey began her training camp in Austria she stayed for nearly 2 weeks till the 14th July. Lindsey also said in an interview with "Sport & Talk aus dem Hangar-7": " Now I’m really happy cause I can do almost everything. The first two months weren’t nice for me. I couldn’t do much. I also watched some races on TV in February and it hurted. But now I’m back and on my way to be 100 percent. I’m really happy about that.”



 



On the 4th August Lindsey posted another pic of her workout and on the 5th August she had a strength test which went well! She also posted that it's only 28 days till she is back on snow! 


strength test


On the 20th August Lindsey posted a pic of her doing some workout saying "Getting ready for my starts this year! BAM!" and it was only 12 days to go till she is back on snow :)  On the next day she showed us some video of her balance training caught by her GoPro :) 

 


 

On the 28th August John Meyer posted that Lindsey is cleared for on-snow training & leaves Friday for Portillo, Chile. Lindsey also said in the Denver Post that the strength in her right knee has been measured at 98 percent of the strength in her left knee.

 

She also said that she hasn't had to ice her knee in a month and a half and she believes she can be ready to compete in the World Cup races at Beaver Creek in December. "I'm hoping that's the start of my season," Vonn said.

 

 Her Dr. Bill Sterett will also be with her during her training in Portillo, Chile. "I asked him to come down," Vonn said. "So he's coming down, and will monitor me. I'm hoping to start training in a couple of days, but my expectations are sometimes a little out of whack."  

 

"She's doing great, we are happy with the progress," says Vonn trainer Martin Hager. "It looks good for starting ski training." Hager said the goal is to have her get down the hill with no swelling in the knee! "That will be the focus for the first few days," he said. "Just skiing without any pain. No reaction of the knee. That will be the most important factor."  

 

Sources: 

Denver Post  

The Associated Press 

 

She was training at the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail!

 

©Kelley McMillan

©John Meyer

©Patrick Graham

©Patrick Graham


 

Let's hope that her first days on snow are going well and that her recovery continues to go well! I wish Lindsey all the best for her first day back on snow and I'll keep my fingers crossed that all goes well with her knee. I can't wait to see her ski racing again also if it means that i'm getting nervous & worried again till she is safe in the finish! :) 

GOOD LUCK LINDSEY FROM ALL FANS!!!!!

xoxo Marion