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Muleski

So much better than a pro
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I had a text exchange a while ago with somebody pretty close to the whole "show", this afternoon. He gave me the impression that she is occasionally having real problems with her left footers. Sounds like she does not have the the touch and feel for the snow that she has had in the past, and that this issue of her leg "not responding to what she is telling it to do" is for real. I have no insight as to why, or what they are doing about it. So she is hooking up too much in some turns, bleeding off other turns without enough pressure. Just not good. Not skiing an LV line consistently? I had the impression that she stood on the ski and that it hooked up and put her on direct line to go into the panel. I may have it totally wrong.

I can't imagine an issue with inspection. She has been among the very best at that, and that would not be influenced by any injury. It's perhaps one of the few advantages left in her experience arsenal these days. My hunch is that she was not where she thought she would be, or planned to be, coming out of the prior turn. And that stuff gets dangerous.

Many are wishing that she would just stop. Now. She is not hearing a thing of it. It sounds like If she can't get to 86, the plan is for "her legacy" to be win or crash. I think it's dumb. Then again, I have resisted posting for years that a lot of people who know her real well think that she is "as dumb as a box of rocks. Social media these days has a way of convincing your 1.6 Million fans that you are whoever you want to be.

It's not going to be so much of a fairly tale if she gets evacuated by medi-vac chopper from the hill. I hope she either bails on the racing {doubtful} or holds it together. Sounds like she still believes that it could be that fairy tale gold medal. One person who might convince her NOT to risk it is her dad. Or her mother. We'll see.
 

James

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------------------
Vonn told NBC Sports that she will skip downhill training for the next two days and race in the downhill part of Friday's combined before lining up for Sunday's downhill proper.

"I was charging. I wanted to lay it all on the line. I didn’t see the piece of terrain exactly how I should have and my skis hooked up and I went straight through the panel. Just gonna be really sore the next couple of days.
---------------
https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/stories/news/detail/shiffrin-speed-gold-vonn-crashes-are/

Good thing there was A netting behind the fencing. That Italian racer in the Michael Johnson video was paralyzed when he went through the fences some years ago.
 

Muleski

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"My skis hooked up" is not something that many coaches would thing of as typical LV skiing, or her description. She skis on absolute speed wagons for skis, and has always has great touch. {let's NOT talk about her alignment, A framing and other crap.....it's worked for her.}

She has a terribly unstable right knee, held together as best as possible with tape and the brace. The LEFT knee, the more recently damaged one has a host of problems and need the total reconstruction, soon. The torn LCL, the nerve, I believe a couple of fractures of the tib plateau.

Who knows why.....the skis responded as she did not expect them to. Very non LV like, IMO.

Think I'm out on this until her next race day. Noting to add. Hope it's in costume on Sunday and that it takes about 10 minutes. If she does race the combined DH leg, I'm guessing it's to test the body, and that it will be backed down a bit.

As @Swede has mentioned, the hill has a lot more challenge that it looks to. Maybe not great for LV. It's not Lake Louise. Perhaps the shorter length might be a slight plus.

I'll be glad when it's over, then we can celebrate a truly great career.
 

James

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Yeah she didn't exactly pull a Bode 2015 WCF Beaver Creek. He was trying to pinch the line and shredded the panel on a blind turn steep section.

If this was 7 or more years ago I might buy the accidental nature of the hookup. There's just too much that's come to light recently that points to her physical condition as the cause of the lack of control.
 

D Lamour

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You know the jury or race director has the discretion to disqualify unsafe racers.

Red Bull, Oakley and Under Armor ought to caution her that splattering won’t sell their products.
 

Swede

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Light changed pretty abruptly and became flat between MS and Vonn. A few crashes after that.
 

Living Proof

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Light changed pretty abruptly and became flat between MS and Vonn. A few crashes after that.

I watched the replay of the entire race last night, LV did a short interview leaving the medical area. One of her comments was "the light changed just before I started, and, I had the wrong goggles on". For sure, after the hold to tend to LV, the light really deteriorated, felt bad for those who had to ski in those conditions. Luck of the draw for start position can be a major factor in determining the winner.

They showed video of Mikela watching LV's run, and, her face just went totally blank, then she turned and bent over, a very emotional response from someone who understands the risks. One of the announcers stated that the German team indicates there is mounting pressure by parents for young racers to avoid speed racing due to injury risk.

I hope LV walks away after this fall, doubtful her competitive juices will let her. Risk is just too great.
 

Swede

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Racing can be very unfair.
I watched the replay of the entire race last night, LV did a short interview leaving the medical area. One of her comments was "the light changed just before I started, and, I had the wrong goggles on". For sure, after the hold to tend to LV, the light really deteriorated, felt bad for those who had to ski in those conditions. Luck of the draw for start position can be a major factor in determining the winner.

They showed video of Mikela watching LV's run, and, her face just went totally blank, then she turned and bent over, a very emotional response from someone who understands the risks. One of the announcers stated that the German team indicates there is mounting pressure by parents for young racers to avoid speed racing due to injury risk.

I hope LV walks away after this fall, doubtful her competitive juices will let her. Risk is just too great.

It's sometimes an unfair sport. Conditions change during races all the time. And yes, goggles. Anally we obsess about edges, flouro waxes, ramp angles ... but the right goggles--a very, very important part of being able to ski fast. It was obvious in today's SG as well were a lot of guys had problems with the terrain in the flat light.
 

hbear

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Yup, conditions can change from racer to racer (wind, vis, snow condition, snow falling slowing the track, etc.) Can be very unfair for sure.
Even on the perfect day, the track changes with each racer (hence why seeding is so important). This to me makes the winners in SL/GS at the top levels so impressive as the leaders are skiing their 2nd runs on the worst track condition.
 

4ster

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Yup, conditions can change from racer to racer (wind, vis, snow condition, snow falling slowing the track, etc.) This to me makes the winners in SL/GS at the top levels so impressive as the leaders are skiing their 2nd runs on the worst track condition.
:thumb:
Most impressive to me is when someone like Hirscher or Shiffrin can come down 30th in the second run and still have the fastest time. To me this leaves no doubt who is the best.
 

Muleski

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I also think it might be worth considering the surface and course prep at that level. Not always rock hard, but normally pretty close. Certainly for the guys. Not a lot of deterioration in that second run group of 30, most race days. A touch more with the ladies. Even then, it's not like a domestic FIS race, or a NorAM, where the first run winner, running 30th, might be forced to ski in the "groove" formed by the early runners.

Another factor is that the spread in skill and results among the top 30 finishers can be astoundingly wide, particularly among the women. In some WC's you have women finishing almost six seconds out, getting a second run, and starting at the top in run #2. Men, it's more like being 3 seconds out is very unusual.

But no question, MS is skiing a different line that most anybody. Maybe a bit like Vhlova with a straight set with a ton of fall line. MH....he is more stable, more powerful, and can "weather"most anything.

I agree, their second runs are just incredible, more often than not, even f we have come to expect them!

I, for one, am not looking forward to Hirscher's retirement. Whenever it happens. Watch him every chance I have. Watching him train GS, after about five free ski runs, a couple of years ago was one of the most memorable "watching" that I've ever experienced. Just so.....perfect.
 

Muleski

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Probably should have mentioned, but I think it's obvious and has been talked about quite a bit, that the harder the surface, the faster and bigger the margin generally is with MS. She can use the surface to generate more speed, and to be quicker in transition and getting into the fall line. Her balance and movement is so often just perfect. She puts time on the field in every single change in direction.
 

James

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So, would we say that Vonn didn't commit a goggiate ?
Or really, this whole episode is a goggiate.

Goggiate- a mistake of aggression, named after Sofia Goggia.
 

K2 Rat

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Interesting that Vonn is on the start order for the Alpine Combined. She has been a DNS in the 2 DH training runs. Maybe she hopes to feel ok to run the DH portion of the combined. The last and final training run is Sat.
 

Swede

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Interesting that Vonn is on the start order for the Alpine Combined. She has been a DNS in the 2 DH training runs. Maybe she hopes to feel ok to run the DH portion of the combined. The last and final training run is Sat.

She runs it as training for the DH. She can’t race a SL with those knees. Let’s see what happens weather wise this weekend. Looks like crap. Lots of snow ... I guess the free riders will ve happy.
 

tch

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^^^ "I'm just gonna keep going and keep pushing myself until my body falls apart and I can't ski anymore".
Prescient line.
 

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