VAL D’ISÈRE, France — Pouring champagne proved a dangerous business for Lindsey Vonn.
While celebrating her downhill victory at the world championships, the American ski star grabbed a broken champagne bottle, cut a tendon in her right thumb and underwent surgery Tuesday.
Vonn already has won two gold medals at the worlds. The U.S. team anticipates her competing in the slalom Saturday and possibly the giant slalom Thursday. She most likely will skip the team event today.
After the accident Monday night, the team doctor put in four stitches at the hotel to close the wound. She later left Val d’Isère to see a specialist near Innsbruck, Austria.
U.S. Ski Team doctor Richard Quincy said Vonn will wear a splint and should be able to grip her ski pole.
Vonn’s problems began when she couldn’t open the champagne bottle because the cork broke. Someone used a ski to extract the remaining piece of cork, breaking the bottle in the process. Vonn didn’t realize what happened and grabbed the damaged bottle as the champagne flowed.
“The support I’ve received from my fans has been awesome,” Vonn said, “and I’m looking forward to returning to worlds and challenging for another medal.”
