The Winter Olympics have officially begun in Milano Cortina. This has not been major news as compared to recent years in my opinion. Maybe it’s because I am in college, or perhaps the event takes place during the school year as opposed to the Summer Olympics where there’s a smaller amount of classes offered. The reason for fewer people watching the events could also be in part due to the events not seeming as exciting. Most events in the Winter Olympics have to do either skating or skiing which can get repetitive after a while. There’s also curling, which seems to be a popular thing to watch as most people assume it’s relatively simple. Others compare the sport to sweeping, but it’s not that two-dimensional. Athletes train for years to get to the Olympic stage, and that’s an important aspect to recognize.
One athlete’s story in particular has stood out this Olympics: Lindsey Vonn. This was set to be Vonn’s fifth and final Winter Olympic Games in competitive skiing. Her very recent ACL injury made her appearance seem questionable by some, however she was still willing to compete in a final run for a chance at the gold medal. She seemed to be doing great in the training rounds Saturday afternoon, however tragedy struck this past Sunday, Feb. 8. During her skiing race, Vonn’s shoulder collided with a flag, which caused her to fall and experience major pain. Vonn’s collision resulted in her being airlifted from the stadium, and she is now receiving medical attention.
My personal advice to all athletes out there is to take your injuries seriously and not push yourself too hard. Wait until you are medically cleared to return and even then, ease back into the sport slowly.
In other news, at the time of writing this article, Norway has the most medals – including three golds – so if Norway is your team, you’re in luck! Switzerland and the United States are the next two contenders for the top teams with four and two overall medals respectively. The games will continue for another week until Feb. 22 on a variety of television platforms. Stay tuned to see who will win next!
Lauren Price
Staff Reporter
