Park City, UT…Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) announced Tuesday that she will not participate in the upcoming Sochi Olympics. Vonn, who had staged a comeback in December with an impressive fifth place finish in the opening Audi FIS Alpine World Cup super G in Lake Louise, felt that a subsequent racing injury in Val d’Isere, France from Dec. 21 made it impossible to stabilize her knee and be ready to safely ski again next month. Vonn will undergo surgery shortly so that she has sufficient time for recovery with a focus on the February, 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships at her home in Vail/Beaver Creek, CO, as well as the World Cup season.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Olympic gold medalist and 17-time Audi FIS Alpine World Cup title winner Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) announced Jan. 7 that she will miss the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.
• Vonn sustained a season-ending injury to her right knee on Feb. 5, 2013 during a crash in the opening race of the World Championships in Schladming, Austria.
• Vonn staged an incredible comeback, returning to snow on Aug. 31 during a U.S. Ski Team training camp in Portillo, Chile.
• She re-aggravated the same knee during a downhill training crash on Nov. 19 at the U.S. Ski Team Speed Center at Copper Mountain, CO causing her to miss the debut of Raptor, the 2015 World Championships women’s venue at Beaver Creek, CO.
• She then returned to the World Cup tour Dec. 6-8 with a successful three-race series in Lake Louise, Alberta including an impressive fifth the super G.
• A subsequent racing injury suffered Dec. 21 during a World Cup downhill in Val d’Isere, France made it impossible to stabilize her knee and be ready in time for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games.
• Vonn will undergo surgery shortly and will turn her focus on the 2015 World Cup season that includes the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships set for Feb. 2-15 in her hometown of Vail/Beaver Creek, CO.
• Vonn is the most successful female alpine skier in American history with 17 World Cup titles including a record six consecutive downhill titles and four overall crowns.
• Vonn holds 59 World Cup victories, currently three short of tying the women’s all-time record of 62 held by Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell.

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level. I’m having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February.

On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold. Thank you all so much for all of the love and support. I will be cheering for all of the Olympians and especially team USA!

Bill Marolt, President and CEO, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association
In looking ahead, I have every ounce of confidence that Lindsey will be in the starting gate next World Cup season ready to compete. She knows the hard work it takes to get to the top and still has significant goals to achieve in what has been an incredible career.

While Lindsey won’t be in Sochi, we have a strong team that is well prepared to challenge. The women’s speed team is experienced with five athletes who have achieved World Cup podiums and a seasoned veteran in Julia Mancuso who has won three Olympic medals in her career. Now is the time for those athletes to step up towards our Best in the World vision.