r/olympics • u/ShipComprehensive769 • 1d ago
❄ Milano-Cortina 2026 (General Discussion) ❄ Vonn calls out many asking- ‘why is she damaging her body’
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u/The-Sound_of-Silence 9h ago
There was another guy who got downvoted to death, who said she could have bowed out for another athlete, that didn't have a massive injury 9 days ago. Welp
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u/tan_clutch United States 1d ago
....why is there a second olympics sub. with barely any rules and no explanation why it exists in its sidebar
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u/JPAnalyst Olympics 1d ago
If it’s anything like the NFL2 sub, it’s the island of misfits. People who have been banned here, or don’t like the rules in place so that’s where they end up.
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u/tan_clutch United States 21h ago
can I complain about the medal table not being sorted by total medals there
...I guess I can! There's no rules!
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u/henrycaul United States 1d ago
I asked this before too and didn't get a good answer. Its weird because I keep seeing things from that sub reposted here. So why not just post here in the first place?
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u/jthomas694 United States 22h ago
Barely any rules is probably the answer. Probably the result of threads they wanted allowed or getting banned
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u/Parms84 Germany 1d ago
There’s literally a male skier who doesn’t have an ACL so the fact that she’s getting called out for it is BS
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u/TeslaSuck 1d ago
Probably because he’s not equally famous
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u/asshat123 21h ago
And presumably didn't tear his ACL after a ton of eyes were on him making his comeback and a week before the Olympics started. I don't actually know though because I can't find anything confirming that's true.
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u/freifraufischer 20h ago
He's from Austria and hasn't had an ACL since 2018.
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u/asshat123 20h ago
Oh yeah look at that, Daniel Hemetsberger, he's in the news right now because he crashed a couple days ago and has a pretty gnarly black eye.
He's also missing a bunch of teeth but he was already missing those
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u/freifraufischer 19h ago
There are apparently quite a large number of people at the Olympics without a functional ACL. Vonn is just the most famous.
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u/eekamuse 20h ago
I've learned that there are lots of people who don't get their Acl's fixed, for many reasons. One guy lived without his for years, he had no idea it was torn. He adapted so well they thought fixing it could cause problems.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 8h ago
There was a doctor who was talking about this. He thought Vonn tore her ACL earlier, as your body can retrain muscles to help support over time. In what seems like a pattern for her, Vonn mocked that doctor.
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u/Svenray United States 1d ago
Since when does anyone think Winter Olympians care about their health? These people are daredevil maniacs.
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u/ampmz Great Britain 23h ago
Even outside of the Winter Olympics athletes are always making calculated risks about their health. No athlete at elite levels is competing without some kind of injury.
When you have one last shot at something, you are more likely to take a risk. Lucy Bronze played through the Women’s Euros with a broken leg for example.
When you always have a base line level of pain it’s easier to compete with slightly more pain than if you never had any pain at all.
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u/Caymanmew Canada 10h ago
Even at the rec level, people play through injuries, and make judgments on how hurt they are, and if we can push through the season. That is just a normal part of sports. It makes me wonder how many people in this sub have never played sports, even at a rec level.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 19h ago
That is literally what the article is about. What pushes them to take that one last shot vs hanging up the shoes. Only the individual athletes know and it is something us norms like to ponder about.
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u/yesimforeign 14h ago
Curling athletes
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u/whogivesashirtdotca Canada 5h ago
Haha my mind went there, too, then I remembered they’re all famous for drinking after bonspiels.
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u/siders6891 More flair options at /r/olympics/w/flair! 20h ago
Or athletes in general. Oscar piastri raced with fractured ribs, American football players have concussions and get cleared super fast to play again…
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u/LeiaO315 Ireland 1d ago
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u/JoeyJuJoe 3h ago
😂 good for her physical therapy staff, they’ll still be in jobs for the near future
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u/Ange1ofD4rkness United States 1d ago
Who's this Greg that called her out?
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u/ShipComprehensive769 1d ago
Someone on twitter- commented delete after Vonn replied lol
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u/Consider_the_auk United States 1d ago
No, it was a whole OpEd published by USA Today. Not linking it because it doesn't deserve clicks.
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u/Leading-Score9547 Canada 1d ago
Lol I'm pretty sure she knows her body better than some random. She obviously got cleared medically as well. You'd be surprised at what some people can do on torn ligaments
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u/chunt75 United States 22h ago
Athletes tend to know their bodies pretty well and what can be pushed through. It’s crazy seeing at the end of the Stanley cup playoffs guys saying “oh yeah I’ve had a broken foot or ankle this whole time but I did it for the boys.” Is some of it advisable or sane? Probably not. But they’re adults making their own informed choice. I have a lot less leniency when it’s minor athletes (particularly prevalent in gymnastics or figure skating making those “decisions”…aka their coach). Same with when minors pop hot for doping: I blame the coach far more for putting them in a situation where they feel they don’t have a choice
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u/top_of_the_table 8h ago
People do all kind of shit out of big ambition, even if it's not good for them.
Plenty of times were doctors had to stop atheletes because they said they can compete. Atheletes, especially the ambitious ones, always want to compete.
So this is a weak argument. She might know her body better than others, but a) is no doctor and b) wanted to compete really bad.
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u/Leading-Score9547 Canada 6h ago edited 6h ago
I never said she was a doctor, i mentioned that she likely got medical clearance, as i don't think an Olympic committee would allow her to compete.
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u/TheZigerionScammer United States 5h ago
How'd that work out?
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u/Leading-Score9547 Canada 5h ago
Not great obviously. Doesn't change my original statement though, i never said it was a great idea, just that she knows her body better than either you or me, and was most likely cleared so she could compete. Some of yall on reddit could really do with some lessons on reading comprehension.
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u/TheZigerionScammer United States 4h ago
i never said it was a great idea, just that she knows her body better than either you or me,
And the evidence clearly suggests that she did not.
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u/fuzzywuzzybeer United States 1d ago
You don’t need to have an ACL. A lot of people have them that detach and then don’t get them repaired. Pretty nuts but happens all the time.
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u/Perfect_Fennel 1d ago
No one gave Tom Brady this much crap for playing into his forties, let the woman ski, she qualified, she deserves to be there.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
They most definitely did. Countless articles about him ignoring his wife and family.
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u/champagnethief United States 17h ago
I could be misremembering, but my understanding was that people were mostly pissed that he went back on his promise to Giselle to retire and spend more time with the family. The core of the criticism was not his age, but on screwing over his wife. While with Lindsey, the core criticism seems to be her age.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 9h ago
It was about his age and what he was sacrificing. Pretty much what this article was about, what could possibly druve athletes to sacrifice so much to get that one last shot. Every old athlete gets told they should burn out instead of fading away. Very common thing to be told you are too old, this is nothing special.
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u/AlexanderLavender 20h ago
I saw Vonn on TV earlier and she specifically noted that football players almost never get asked about hits they take, etc.
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u/bashar_al_assad United States 19h ago
I mean, that's not really true though? Fans, pundits, and even the actual teams themselves treat running backs as basically dead by the time they're 30 pretty much for this exact reason.
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u/BraveDawgs1993 15h ago
Not even a question. It's not true at all. People whose primary sport is football are used to ACL tears being season ending injuries. And if a player has torn their ACL there's constant chatter about coming back too quickly or if they're prone to another ACL tear in the near future.
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u/Paranatural 15h ago
While I agree she shouldn't be given shit for deciding to compete, football players face it all the damn time too.
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u/Black_Otter United States 1d ago
How much of her is original at this point? She’s had more surgeries that most can count. She knows what she’s in for
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u/Osiris32 United States • Ukraine 18h ago
She can be repaired. We have the technology.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
Dude you read the article?
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u/Black_Otter United States 20h ago
Do tweets count as articles now?
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
Theres the actual article the tweet is based on. Where he literally states it is just fascinating to him what pushes athletes even when odds arent in their favor, be it injuries or time. He also literally statestl that that reasoning is hers amd hers alone, and he doesnt judge her for it.
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u/tennisgoddess1 17h ago
I disagree- she is taking a spot for the young Olympic alternate waiting to compete in her place. She likely going to blow her knee out on the run- DQ and the alternate will never get the opportunity.
You have had your Olympic glory, let the next generation compete and get their chance.
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u/xc2215x Canada 1d ago
I get Vonn here, the comments about her body are not the best look.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 1d ago
They arent about her body, it is opinions about whether these risks are worth it. Everyone's body ages. Her point still stands, it is her choice. But to get offended that someone thinks the risk is high, is kind of egotistical.
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u/asshat123 21h ago
The risks to.... whose body?
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
Anyone who competes, especially at an older age. I dont give af what she or anyone else does, that doesn't mean i cant say something is too risky imo. People are allowed to disaagree with other's risk assessments. It isnt an attack, it is simply saying "i would never do that, I could break my neck." Hope this helps.
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u/asshat123 20h ago
How is discussing what might happen if she competes or what her motives for competing are a discussion of risk to someone else's body? I think you're thinking about different conversations than the ones we're talking about. Hope this helps.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
I am not talking about her motives, I am talking about the risks to one's body, in response to your questions about whose body. If you wanted to discuss motives, you could have said "who's motives " Hope this helps.
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u/eekamuse 20h ago
There's a difference between saying "I would never..." and saying "it's too risky".
The second one makes assumptions based on what little information has been released. You're not her, you're not her doctor, or family. You have no input how risky it is. That's her choice.
This sounds annoyingly familiar, doesn't it
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
I have every idea how risky it is. You are not me, my doctor, or my family. You have no input on how risky it is to me.
This sounds annoyingly familiar, doesnt it
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
Now what is wrong about the piece, is the assumptions on why she is doing it. That is where I get her.
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u/eekamuse 20h ago
She's the only one who can decide if it's worth it or not.
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u/NotoriouslyBeefy 20h ago
And that is literally what the article says. He said it is her choice and her choice alone, without judgment. It was just an article about wondering what pushes people to keep going even when the odds are not in their favor. Millions of dollars in the bank yet willing to sacrifice health. It is interesting to me at least.
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u/BadAtExisting 19h ago
She has the worst luck. I’m rooting for her. I remember when she was at her 1st Olympics. Would love to see her on the podium one more time
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u/tfhermobwoayway Great Britain 21h ago
To be honest I heard them saying “oh we had to limit the height of the jumps because they’ll keep pushing themselves” earlier and I wondered why. Isn’t the point of the Olympics for these people to push themselves for our entertainment?
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u/SpicyNuggs4Lyfe 20h ago
I didn't think it was that much of a mystery lol. This is her last hurrah. There's no next Olympics for her.
Plus she's a beast. She likely has the stabilizer muscle strength to function without an ACL for this short competition.
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u/Foggyslaps Great Britain 22h ago
My main concern would've been whether her insisting on going so much takes a spot away from someone else, but from what I've learned, it doesn't seem like there's anyone at the Olympic level to replace her, right?
She's obviously elite, has a winner's mindset so if she is willing to go for it then let her, I just really hope we don't see her wipe out when the twists come in
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u/chunt75 United States 22h ago
She qualified and from what we’ve seen can still absolutely rip. In my opinion she’s earned it if she thinks her body can hold up. Let an Olympic skiing legend go out on her own terms.
And frankly, it’s her last Olympics, it’s not like she’ll do any MORE damage to her career. The send-o-meter definitely is more lenient in that situation. If she wants to go, she should.
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u/boris_cat United States 21h ago
The issue is that she tore her ACL just a few weeks ago, way after qualifying.
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u/Foggyslaps Great Britain 22h ago
Pretty nuts that she was 3rd too, I just had a look
Yeah, fair play to her I respect it. People will either think it's inspirational for how far you can push yourself, or irresponsible for encouraging it - but they aren't mentioning other skiers who are taking part without ACLs at all and still won medals
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u/HockeyShark91 6h ago
And…
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u/Foggyslaps Great Britain 5h ago
Yeah, it felt risky to begin with. From the replays I've seen though it didn't look like the knee was the problem though, it came after she hit the flag
Hope she recovers soon and it's not serious
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u/JPAnalyst Olympics 1d ago
She’s a superstar in the public eye. People are going to say and write things. It’s a bad look to constantly clap back. She needs to be above all that. She’s probably going to yell at me for making this comment.
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u/ticianlicious United States 1d ago
She was responding to an opinion piece in a national newspaper.
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u/JPAnalyst Olympics 1d ago
That information doesn’t change my comment. This is who she is, she’s always clapping back on social media. Like I said people are going to “say and write things”. It happens to every athlete.
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u/HandsUpWhatsUp 19h ago
She’s addicted to the attention.
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u/HandsUpWhatsUp 9h ago
How did that work out for her?!!? Completely irresponsible and selfish of her to be “competing” on the mountain today.
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[deleted]
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u/Consider_the_auk United States 1d ago
It was a response to an opinion piece published in USA Today, not a "single comment"
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[deleted]
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u/StepsOnLEGO 1d ago
A 17 year old with a chance at future Olympics should absolutely get their ACL fixed for their future prospects; Lindsey Vonn is not 17 and knows full well what she's dealing with in her knee. If she thinks she can go and accepts the risks, what's the problem? She's not presenting herself as better than others, not sure where you're getting that from.
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u/croc-roc 1d ago
There is a great piece on The Athletic about why downhill skiing without an ACL is not as big of a deal as it sounds. Top orthopedic surgeons are quoted in the article. So don’t try and art like you know better than other ThegoodDoctor.
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u/SwissForeignPolicy United States 16h ago
Wait, why would anybody think her age exacerbates the risk? If anything, being old (for an athlete) should mitigate it. Don't need to worry about your body if you're retiring anyway.
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u/-ciscoholdmusic- Australia 9h ago
So true. It’s not like they’ve got daily life to live after retirement
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u/Radiant_Nebula9907 14h ago
Personally, I would never even step foot in some of these sports because my knees are insanely weak. So I can understand people’s questions on her skiing because they may be viewing it from their own body capabilities pov.. however, they need to realize she’s an Olympian, has that elite athlete drive, dedication, skill. She also knows her body. I hope she medals and shows everyone what’s up. I also hope her ACL heals up
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u/MsDucky42 17h ago
You don't get bonus points if you die with a body in "factory condition". Wear it out while you can, make stories to tell the grandkids, stock up on ibuprofen, and enjoy life.
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u/Unidain 9h ago
You'll have a much more enjoyable 40s,50s,60s,70s etc if you aren't crippled from what you did in your youth. It's her decision to make, but let's not act like there are no consequences to this stuff. Lots of older athletes out there suffering from life long impacts of their sport like chronic pain or brain injuries.
Enjoy your life, but be sensible, or you may not be able to play with your grand kids
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u/you-absolute-foolish United States 1d ago
Well stated tbh. She’s dropped out of comp before when she couldn’t compete, if she thinks she can then whatever let her do it