Poster: A snowHead
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By BRIAN PINELLI
Feb. 10 (New York Times) -- ST. MORITZ, Switzerland -- Recovering from a
broken arm and racing without any feeling in her right hand, Lindsey Vonn
still says that she is the one to beat in the downhill at the Alpine World Ski
Championships on Sunday.
Asked who is the favorite for the signature women's race, Vonn replied
candidly with a smile and laugh: "Me. I don't know what else you want me to
say."
But as has often been the case throughout her 16-year World Cup career,
Vonn, 32, is battling through an injury. She sustained a broken right arm in a
preseason training crash at Copper Mountain, Colo., in November. She still has
not regained complete motor coordination in her right hand.
In the super-G on Tuesday, Vonn struggled to grip her ski pole, lost
focus and skied off course. To combat the lack of feeling, Vonn used duct tape
to allow her to hold the pole in Thursday's final downhill training run.
"I taped my hand and I also have a different pair of gloves on -- Reusch
sent me some really thin old-school gloves," Vonn said after finishing fourth
in training, 0.83 seconds behind Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia. "I think it's going
to help and now I can focus hopefully on my racing and not whether my pole is
in my hand."
Vonn is racing at her seventh world championships this week, seeking to
add to her six career medals at the two-week event that is contested every two
years. A four-time overall World Cup champion, Vonn won gold medals in the
downhill and the super-G at the 2009 championships in Val d'Isere, France.
While she has prospered at the world championships, she has also had
various injuries, crashes and unexpected mishaps over the years. In 2009, she
sliced her finger opening a champagne bottle during a victory celebration. In
2011 in Germany, she won a downhill silver medal while racing with a
concussion against doctor's orders. In a nasty crash in the 2013 championships
in Austria, she tore knee ligaments that prevented her from competing at the
2014 Sochi Olympics.
"It's definitely been up and down for me at world championships," Vonn
said. "I love the world championships -- it's different from the Olympics and
obviously different from the World Cup. I always thought February was tough,
and when I was doing five events, I was running out of gas and maybe that's
the reason I was always getting hurt. Now that I'm only doing two events, it's
pretty nice."
Vonn displayed her ability to bounce back quickly from injury, winning a
downhill race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, on Jan. 21. It was her
second race back after recovering from her broken arm.
A U.S. Ski Team assistant, Chris Knight, said Vonn's tenacity in
overcoming setbacks no longer surprised him.
"It doesn't cease to amaze me -- it was a pretty impressive effort,"
Knight said of Vonn's recent victory in Germany.
Vonn also had two crashes leading to the world championship at races in
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, in late January.
"She's had a lot of injuries, and you've got to try and keep her wrapped
in cotton wool as much as you can because she is such a great racer and you
want to try and eliminate risks," Knight said, "but you can't say to a racer
whose job is to go fast to take it easy."
In addition to Sunday's downhill, Vonn is also racing Friday's Alpine
combined, which consists of a morning downhill run and an afternoon slalom.
Vonn said the 2,633-meter Engiadina downhill piste, with its blind turns
and rolling terrain, was a good hill for her.
"It's fast, there are some good technical parts and really big jumps,"
she said. "I know I can risk a lot here and I'm prepared to do that. World
championships are all about the medals, and that's what I'm going for."
Her competitors know better than to count Vonn out even after yet another
injury.
"She surprises me every time still, but at the same time, you don't
expect anything else from here," said Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein. "She's
crazy in those regards -- I told her yesterday that I have the biggest respect
for her, it's very cool and inspiring."
Vonn may even have extra motivation over the coming days. At 18, she was
left off the United States squad in favor of Julia Mancuso the last time the
world championships were staged in St. Moritz in 2003.
"I think that was one of the most disappointing moments -- that's very
vivid in my mind," Vonn said. "I was really mad and they took Julia, they
didn't take me. The coaches didn't think I was fast enough. Now I can have my
revenge."
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Quote: |
"Now I can have my revenge, by travelling back in time and systematically terminating all of Mancusos grand parents."
Vonn then crouched down and was enveloped in a blinding light, and disappeared; leaving only a smoking crater in the ground.
There was a slight shimmer in the air and it felt that time and history itself flexed around me... I have no idea who she meant by this 'Julia Mancuso' woman, perhaps she was someway related to the infamous 'Mancuso Massacre' in Reno back in the early early 80's.
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This additional info-fragment was recovered from the ruins of St.Moritz by the archive team and is believed to date from the early Trumpian era, and prior to the first Vonnbot purge.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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jezza123 wrote: |
By BRIAN PINELLI
Feb. 10 (New York Times) -- ST. MORITZ, Switzerland -- Recovering from a
broken arm and racing without any feeling in her right hand, Lindsey Vonn
still says that she is the one to beat in the downhill at the Alpine World Ski
Championships on Sunday.
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This opening line is a cunning piece of hiding in plain sight. The Vonnbot has no feeling anywhere including in her icy mechanical heart.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well at least we know our robot overlords can be easy on the eye, while dominating us with pain and savage whipping.
Where's that thin blue line anyway...
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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There's a lot about her that irritates me - but that damn red bull hat is the worst. Being interviewed. Indoors. In a hat. Do you really need the money that badly?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@chrisdavis, not just the hat. The clothes. All the clothes. Take them ALL off.
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under a new name wrote: |
@chrisdavis, not just the hat. The clothes. All the clothes. Take them ALL off. |
She already has
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@Bones, yes, but now she wants YOUR clothes, your boots and your motorcycle...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@under a new name, she does nothing for me I'm afraid. There are FAR more attractive skiers, both inside and out.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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She is too mannish.
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Unless you are manly.
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You know it makes sense.
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Obviously that was a general remark not pointed at you whitegold
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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chrisdavis wrote: |
@under a new name, she does nothing for me I'm afraid. There are FAR more attractive skiers, both inside and out. |
I concur.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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A chacun...
I also like Ms Gut, and others.
Variety, the spice, etc.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No doubt you'll all be happy that LV hasn't won today's downhill
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Nice shot of her comforting Goggia there
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Dave of the Marmottes, halfhand, not fussed myself having seen the race first, some folks don't get to watch it until later. Good sentiments though
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Hmm, must try this duct taping poles to my hands, but how do you hold your beer??
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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I know someone who as a teen had a doctor make a plaster hand cast that a pole could slot into as he was racing with broken thumbs. It's pretty normal to duct tape poles with lower arm and hand injuries.
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@essex,
Try duct-taping your glass to your other hand?
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@Bones,
Camelback full of beer?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Acacia, Good call
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