Lindsey Vonn undergoes two surgeries for broken leg after horrific accident – National
US athlete Lindsey Vonn has undergone two surgeries in Italy after badly breaking her leg, a source said, to stabilize her after a horrific crash 13 seconds into one of the most anticipated races of the Winter Olympics.
Vonn, 41, is being flown by helicopter to the Ca’ Foncello hospital in the city of Treviso from Cortina d’Ampezzo after her bid for gold was cut short by a knee injury on Sunday.
He underwent surgery by a joint team of local orthopedic and plastic surgeons, said a source close to the matter on Monday, explaining that these procedures are aimed at preventing problems associated with inflammation and blood flow.
Vonn’s doctor was present but only assisted while Italian surgeons led the procedures, the source said.
US AMBASSADORS MAY PROVIDE A REVIEW
The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee did not respond to a request for comment about the treatment of Vonn, one of the most decorated ski athletes in history.
The hospital said on Sunday that he had to undergo an operation to stabilize his left leg but did not mention the second method. He injured the ACL in his left knee in late January.
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The hospital had said it would provide another update on his condition at 1100 GMT on Monday but that plan was canceled and more information was expected to come from the American team.
A small group of journalists waited outside the hospital in Treviso, which is close to Venice, but it was an ordinary day when no well-wishers showed up.
‘ONE IN A THOUSAND’ ACCIDENT
The case has highlighted the debate in elite sport about who decides whether an injured athlete is ready to compete and what message those decisions send.
The President of the International Ski Federation, Johan Eliasch, said that the competitor must make up his own mind.
“I firmly believe that this should be decided by each person … And in his case, he knows his injuries better than anyone else,” he told reporters on Monday.
“And what is important is that people understand that the accident that happened yesterday was incredibly unlucky, it was one in a thousand.
HE IS HARD FOR ITS SUCCESS, SAYS UMEDA
Sebastien Amiez, a former French skier who won a silver medal in the Olympics, said that Vonn even took part in the race in Crans-Montana on January 30 where he tore his ACL because he had been doing so well in the World Cup.
“His original goal was to win the Olympic Games. But he won the first races, won the World Cup, and as a champion he wanted everything. Yesterday, unfortunately, his luck ran out – that’s how it happened,” he said.
The US team evaluated several centers before choosing Treviso, 125 kilometers from Cortina, over the nearby hospital in Belluno because Treviso has a neurosurgery department, the source said.
Vonn has been inundated with messages of support from around the sports world and beyond.
“He is a great inspiration and an example of perseverance,” said tennis legend Rafa Nadal. “Be strong and get well soon!”
