World Cup overall champion Lindsey Vonn, a product of Ski Club Vail, reports regularly from the tour in collaboration with Denver Post ski writer John Meyer.
VAL D’ISERE, FRANCE — I think people may be assuming things about my behavior when I cut my thumb on a broken champagne bottle after winning my second gold medal at the world championships.
I didn’t have one single drink. I went right from the awards ceremony to TV interviews and then straight to an appearance for Rossignol, my ski sponsor. I was supposed to be there for five minutes to open a champagne bottle and spray the crowd. When I had trouble getting the cork out, a Rossi guy broke off the top with a ski and I cut my right thumb on the jagged edge, deep enough to sever a tendon.
I would much rather have been in the hotel having a nice quiet dinner with my husband. I don’t need all the hoopla. It wasn’t like I was out partying, by any means.
It was my first time trying to open a champagne bottle, and I had absolutely no idea how to do it. It was staged for the cameras and it just didn’t quite work out.
The guy who broke open the bottle and gave it back to me was really worried about his job and really apologetic. I told him it wasn’t his fault, that it was just an accident. I felt really bad for him. Hopefully I’ll see him around the World Cup. If I don’t, then I’ll know he’s been demoted (I’m joking).
I’m going to be dealing with the effects of this for the rest of the season. I’m meeting with the hand specialist again Tuesday to get a more detailed rehab program, but he said a normal person would be told to take three months of doing nothing, not even going to work.
If I’m not careful the tendon could snap, and that would be a much more serious problem.
It shouldn’t present much of a handicap in downhill and super-G, but in slalom it could be a disadvantage. The main problem will be in the start. If it’s a flat start, that could be a big disadvantage because I’m not able to push the pole with my right hand. I’m going to have to find a way to ski faster to make up the time I lose there.
I can deal with the pain. I just have to be mentally tough and try not to use my hand. I think if I practice starts, I can get the hang of using the rest of my muscles to make up for it.
I leave France for the remainder of the World Cup season feeling pretty good about what I accomplished. In world championships races and the Olympics, it’s really hard to win one gold medal. I’m really lucky and happy I was able to get two.
