Lindsey Vonn skied out of the course during Thursday's Super-G race at the World Championships in Saalbach. The American skier did not finish the race after colliding with the 11th gate.
Vonn was racing at the World Championships for the first time since 2019. In her first split, she posted the 16th fastest time, and just when she tried to be a little aggressive, the 40-year-old clipped the 11th gate.
While the three-time Olympic medalist was seen grabbing her arm, she came out healthy and said she had just lost feeling in her arm.
"I am OK. I hit my nerve somehow and I hit the gate and lost feeling in my arm, but it's coming back slowly," she said (via ESPN).
Weighing on her mistake, Vonn said she was too early to the turn and had never done such a thing in her career:
"I just went a little too early into the gate and I hooked my arm, I guess in between my arm guard and my glove is what someone told me," Lindsey Vonn said (via Olympics.com)
Vonn was already suffering from a cold or flu since Tuesday afternoon and said she wasn't fully prepared for the race. The 40-year-old further added that she needed more time to be at her best.
“I had no preparation. I didn’t expect to be here,” she said. “Literally every day is a test. I’m trying new things. I’m trying to get everything in a position to where next year I’m competitive. I know my skiing is there. I just need to get all of the other pieces put together to make a whole picture, and right now I don’t really have that. Again, I think I’ve done pretty well for what I have, but I just need a little bit more time."
Vonn will now compete in the women's downhill on February 8 and the newly introduced women's combined event on February 11.
“She’s got her own style” - Lindsey Vonn showers high praise on teammate Lauren Macuga for first World Championship medal

In the same race Lindsey Vonn registered a DNS, her teammate Lauren Macuga secured her maiden World Championships medal. The 22-year-old earned a bronze medal and became the youngest skier to reach the podium in 13 years.
Vonn was joyous over her victory and said it was just the first of many for the 22-year-old.
"She's a free-spirited person, and she's got her own style – I love it. She's very authentic, she believes in herself, and she works really, really hard. She deserves this. And she's not just an amazing talent but also someone who works really hard. This is just the beginning for her," she said.
Vonn is the second most successful active female skier in the World Championships with eight medals including two golds. She is also the second most decorated in World Cup history with her 82 wins.