SI Curse for Lindsey Vonn....Let's hope not!

Oh no...NOT Lindsey! The US poster child for the Winter Olympics might not even get to participate and we haven't even had opening ceremonies. Vonn admitted today she has a right shin bruise, an injury sustained last week while training in Austria. This isn't the first time Lindsey has been plagued by injuries during an Olympic year...find out when and other Lindsey tidbits after the break but first read this clip from Tribune-owned newspaper: Los Angeles Times

"...She said she suffered muscle damage around the shin but refused an X-ray to determined if there was a hairline fracture.

She was unable to walk for two days after the injury, she said, and has not been able to ski. She said the injury is in the worst possible spot, at the pressure point where the top of her ski boot meets the leg.

Vonn said she has been trying all kinds of therapy, including a peculiar one. "I wrap my leg in cheese and it takes the swelling down," Vonn said.

Vonn must start at least one of the three training runs to be eligible for Sunday's super combined..." OUCH!!!

I was nervous when Mark Sanchez graced the SI cover just before the AFC Championship game in Indianapolis and we know what happened there. The Mets graced the cover as SI's World Series 2009 pick. Now come on, do we really need to show you the cover to remind you of the 72-90 season? Didn't think so...Anyway, read more about Lindsey. She really is due a medal!!!

*Married to US skier and fellow member of 2002 team Thomas Vonn (her coach), 25 years old

*World class alpine skier

*Going for a record 5 Gold medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics: Has said that people are "Phelpsing her" in a reference to 8 Gold medal winner, Swimmer Michael Phelps at the 2008 Summer Olympics
(NO US alpine skier has ever won more than two Olympic medals in a career, no less at one Olympic games)

* Hasn't won an Olympic medal

* Has used Men's skis for the past year (makes her faster but is risky)

*At 17 years old, placed 6th at the 2002 Olympics, 2005 World Championship placed 4th, 2006 Olympics in Turin--took a terrible fall during practice, people thought she had broken her back--bruised hip; still participated in race and finished 8th. TOUGH AS NAILS!!!

*Vonn is a favorite at the 2010 Olympics in three races: the downhill, the super-G (or super-giant slalom) and the super-combined...all speed events.

*Vonn earned her first "big race" medals with silver in both downhill and Super-G at the 2007 World Championships