Lindsey Vonn, the American skiing superstar, won the third Olympic medal of her career, but it was a bronze, not a gold, in the downhill.
Vonn finished behind Sofia Goggia, the first Italian woman to win the downhill, and Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway.
Shortly after her run, Vonn, 33, became emotional when asked about her future. “It’s sad, I love what I do, but my body just probably can’t take another four years,” she told NBC.
“It’s tough to contemplate this being my last Olympic downhill. I struggled to keep it all together, but I left it all on the mountain. I’d have loved a gold medal, but honestly, I’m so proud.”
I think Lindsey Vonn's career is a really interesting topic to talk about since she just got the title of oldest woman to win an Alpine Olympic Medal at the age of 33. Both the winners of Gold and Silver are only 25, so it is extremely impressive that Lindsey is still able to compete at such a high level. I was wondering what the typical time period someone lasts in the winter olympics? ~Eliza
ResponderEliminarThat is, how many Olympics they are able to compete in and remain competitive
EliminarHello, great post!
ResponderEliminarBefore reading this, I never heard of Lindsey Vonn. Von's whole olympic career has been a huge success as she has won four world cup championships. Even with all the success, she has been plagued with injuries, causing her to miss several season, including most of the 2013 season and all of the 2014 season. Aside from this being her last olympics, this one meant a little bit more than usual for her. Vonn dedicated these olympics to her late grandfather who past away last year. She competed with his initials on her helmet, and also spread his ashes near the downhill racing course. She is a great role model and I am proud to have her representing the United States in the olympics.
-- Zach Jay
Great post and a great performance from Vonn. It’s unbelievable to see the perseverance she had to come back from such devastating injuries to win a medal. Even though it wasn’t the gold, she said it meant even more to her than her other medals. It’s also great to hear Goggia explain how every women’s downhill skier thrives to be like Vonn and uses her as a role model.
ResponderEliminarGreat read. It is always great to see somebody like Vonn, who has fought through countless amounts of injuries, to thrive. She is truly an icon in the skiing world, and a hero to the skiers back in the states. It is remarkable that Vonn was able to win a medal this year, and it is one of the best stories in sports.
ResponderEliminarI think this article raises an important question: how much can the body of an olympic athlete sustain before enough is enough? When you look at Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, two of the most celebrated athletes in olympic history, you often think about why they chose to retire, since they can still compete and be the best at what they do. However, training for the olympics is a gruesome process that is beyond demanding on the human body. Not to mention, Michael Phelps, and other athletes alike, are getting deep into their thirties, where the #1 priority becomes raising a family. In your opinion, where should athletes draw the line between representing their countries and taking care of their bodies/families?
ResponderEliminarI always thought how interesting it was the Lindsey Vonn's return to skiing was so hyped up in the media. Even though I knew little about her, almost every commercial on TV about the Olympics seemed to say something about Vonn. It's easy to look at her bronze medal and think that she should be grateful that she placed in such a coveted event. But, in her eyes, a third place seat after thousands of hours of training could feel like a disappointment. It's interesting to put yourself in Olympian's shoes to experience this event from another perspective.
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