GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Lindsey Vonn is playing it safe.
No longer willing to risk further injury as she copes with the aftereffects of a mild concussion, the Olympic downhill champion has decided to withdraw from her remaining events at the world championships.
“It’s been a really difficult few weeks and at every stage, I’ve had 100 percent confidence in the medical advice I’ve been provided and believe we’ve made the right decisions,” Vonn said. “I’m a competitor and I love to race — that’s what makes this a really tough choice, but I do feel it’s the right one.”
Vonn fell on her head during training in Austria the week before the worlds and was clearly not her normal self during her opening events, reporting she felt like she was “skiing in a fog,” and was unable to maintain her concentration for an entire run.
“My plan now will be to take some time off and try to get 100 percent healthy again,” Vonn said. “My hope is that I will be healthy and fresh when the World Cup tour resumes at the end of the month in Are, Sweden.”
The Vail skier finished seventh in super-G, pulled out after the downhill portion of the super-combined and took silver in the downhill Sunday. She will miss the giant slalom and slalom, plus the team event. The opening downhill training run in Are is scheduled for Feb. 23.
Meanwhile, Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway recovered from a head-jarring crash to retain his super-combined title, and Christof Innerhofer of Italy earned his third medal in three races by taking silver.
Svindal — who was hurt after skiing into a barrier over the weekend — led comfortably after the downhill portion and hung on down a steep slalom course on the Gudiberg slope to stay ahead.
Innerhofer became the first Italian man to win three medals at worlds since Zeno Colo in 1950 in Aspen.
“Right now everything is working for me,” Innerhofer said. “It’s my moment, my world championships.”
