Olympics 2018: Lindsey Vonn finishes tied for 5th in super-G

A cameraman in the finish line told Ledecka she was the victor. Her first medal opportunity evaporated less than 80 seconds after the race began.

Lindsey Vonn had barely finished her first race at PyeongChang 2018 when the online abuse resumed.

Ledecka finished her race in a leading time of 1 minute and 21.11 seconds. Then she waited to see how her time of 1:21.49 would hold up.

Though Super-G is not Vonn’s best event – that’s the downhill, which she’ll race Wednesday – she came into Pyeongchang on one of the hottest streaks of her career, winning three of her last six World Cup events and finishing second in one other.

She has 45 podiums in super-G in the World Cup, including 28 wins. Austria’s Anna Veith won the gold medal, Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather won the silver and Suitzerland’s Lara Gut won the bronze. If she does earn her second Olympic title it would be a most glorious moment for the American.

Ledecka has several events remaining on her Olympics schedule in South Korea, from the women’s parallel giant slalom in snowboarding to the downhill and Alpine combined in skiing. “They’re very supportive and professional and maybe that’s why I’m up here right now”, she said.

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Although the online abuse of athletes has always been present in tennis, where disgruntled bettors often take to social media after losing money on matches, it seems to have now crossed over into the Olympics as well.

Without all of that time with Kildow, Vonn doesn’t know whether she’d have been here in the first place.

Vonn, so aware of of another setback, is wearing a facemask around the facilities, hoping she won’t catch the highly contagious norovirus that has made the rounds in Pyeongchang.

Then came a devastating upper arm break in November 2016 that required a plate and multiple screws to fix.

While all eyes were on Vonn at the start of the race, it was Ledecka, 22, who stole the show. “It’s been a lot of days over here in Korea without racing, and I just need to get going”, the 33-year-old Olympian told Savannah Guthrie on “Today” on Friday.

Vonn was quick to thank Foudy for her support.

Vonn has 135 world cup podium finishes total, two of them on the Jeongseon course past year. She has seven career world championships medals but only two Olympic medals, and this nearly certainly will be her last Olympics. That’s ski racing and that’s why it’s so hard to win at the Olympics because literally anything can happen’. Because Alan skied, so did his daughter, Lindsey.

With stars such as three-time USA gold medallist Shaun White capturing the imagination of a generation, Ledecka has managed the startling crossover between the two sports in nearly seamless fashion.

Vonn missed the 2014 Games in Sochi with a torn ACL, but worked her way back to the top of her sport.

She could barely believe it herself, and her face as her time flashed up was priceless. “I’m disappointed but I’m not upset, because all you can do is give it your best and that’s what I did”. “This is for my Grandpa!”

Through all of the injuries, all of the setbacks, all of the aches and pains, Vonn never doubted she would be back. But the waiting continues. That event is scheduled for February 20. She has two more chances to nab an Olympic medal here. She has contributed to TeamUSA.org since its inception in 2008.