Despite disastrous crash, Lindsey Vonn’s return was neither selfish or unwarranted

The Milano-Cortina Olympics are a place where after immense training, practice, dedication, athletes are required to be brave in different ways.

They take immense physical and mental risks. They bet on themselves. It may not go the way they want. 

It can be concluded that legendary skier, Lindsey Vonn, did just that — bet on herself — and lost. But what is the wager? Do we purport to bet on ourselves only if there is no risk? 

On Sunday, Vonn, 41, crashed during her downhill event at the Olimpia delle Tofane course. Her painful cries could be heard on the hill as she was surrounded by medical personnel, and was then airlifted out. 

It was eerily quiet and simultaneously devastating as supporters, fans and her family watched one of the most prolific and successful women to ever compete in downhill end this Olympic journey in the worst-case scenario imaginable. 

Breezy Johnson, a U.S. teammate, had completed the run (and subsequently won the race) but watched in heavy silence as Vonn was tended to and whisked away by helicopter. Vonn was taken to a hospital in Treviso where she underwent surgery on her fractured left leg.  

All of this on top of another recent crash resulting in a severe knee injury a week before the Olympics. At a competition in Switzerland nine days ago, Vonn ruptured the Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left leg, plus sustained damage to the bone and meniscus. On Tuesday, she shared an Instagram post detailing that after consultations with physicians and after tests, she declared she would be “capable of competing” and decided to try. 

Vonn said that she was confident in her body’s ability to perform. She retired six years ago due to another knee injury.  Her comeback to Cortina was one of the