Lindsey Vonn’s legacy was secured long ago. No additional race, win or even record will change that.
Vonn is considering retiring now, after failing to finish a Super-G race in Cortina, Italy. She had hoped to keep skiing until December so she can finish her career at her beloved Lake Louise and maybe surpass Ingemar Stenmark’s mark for all-time World Cup victories. But her knees are shot, two decades of flying down mountains having exacted their toll.
“I’ve had four surgeries on my right knee. I’ve got no L.C.L. on my left knee. I’ve got two braces on. There’s only so much I can handle, and I might have reached my maximum,” Vonn said Sunday, according to the Associated Press.
“I’m not sure. I’ve got to take a couple days’ time and really think about things.”
Really, though, the choice should be simple. As big a part of her life as skiing has been, it is only one part. Having just turned 34 in October, Vonn has many more years ahead of her, and risking further damage to her knees, or any other body part, isn’t worth it. Retirement is supposed to be enjoyed, not spent in agony.
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