Ten days before Lindsey Vonn was scheduled to compete for the first time since her February injury, the Olympian crashed Tuesday while training in Copper Mountain, Colo.
According to the Associated Press, Vonn was being evaluated at a hospital after being taken off the slope on a sled. Some media reports suggest the athlete will undergo an MRI on a previously injured knee
"We have no reason to believe it's anything significant right now," U.S. Ski Team spokesman Tom Kelly said, according to the AP.
Kelly said he was not sure whether Vonn hurt her surgically repaired right knee in the fall at the team's speed training center.
"Lindsey crashed earlier this morning while training at Copper Mountain in Colorado," Vonn's publicist, Lewis Kay, said this in an email. "She was not admitted to the hospital and is currently being evaluated by [U.S. women's ski team] Dr. [Bill] Sterett back in Vail. We expect to have clarity on the situation in the next 24 hours. We will provide updates when we know more and appreciate your patience."
Vonn, a four-time overall World Cup champion, tore ligaments in her right knee in a high-speed accident at the world championships in February. She has been aiming to return to World Cup competition next week in Beaver Creek, Colo. Vonn recently admitted she's reluctantly been wearing a protective knee brace under doctor's orders.
"I'm a little bit reckless. It's really rare that I'm afraid to do something. Usually people have to hold me back," Vonn said in an interview with USA TODAY Sports before the season. "I like to do things fast. I drive a car too fast. I jet ski too fast. I'm pretty fearless all around."
Vonn needs just three more wins to match Austrian great Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of 62 World Cup race victories. She's repeatedly assured media outlets that her main focus is being healthy, but also said a World Cup mark would hold special meaning.
"There are many Olympic champions, but to be the No. 1 winningest World Cup racer of all time, you're alone on that list. You're at the top," Vonn said. "That would be more substantial for me and my legacy."
