Vonn unlucky in super-G loss, then she whined about it
Vonn unlucky in super-G loss, then she whined about it
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Lindsey Vonn didn't have to make any excuses for her sixth-place finish in Saturday's super-G at the 2018 Winter Olympics. TV analysts, newspaper writers, Twitter users and fans were already making them for her: Since Vonn happened to be the first skier out of the gate, she was at a tremendous disadvantage, one that proved fatal when she slipped near the end of the course, costing her precious time that would have easily won her gold.
I was writing a story about it from the moment Vonn crossed the finish line. Dozens of other Olympic writers were almost certainly doing the same.
But then Vonn went on NBC and complained about it herself. She transformed from a sympathetic figure to a poor loser in a span of 15 seconds.
Vonn wasn't wrong. Going first, particularly in the super-G, when skiers get no practice runs or scouting of the course, is brutal. It's like going to play The Masters without ever taking a peek at Amen Corner.
Not only did Vonn have to go down blind, but the skiers behind her didn't have to - they were able to get some course knowledge of the trail courtesy of Vonn herself. According to NBC's Steve Perino, every skier after Lara Gut (who was fifth out of the gate) was able to see the runs of Vonn and the other early starters on a monitor. Watching Vonn slip out on that turn near the bottom would have been very instructive to other skiers.
She should have let it be. "Going first hurt" was going to be the narrative of the morning. But when Heather Cox led off her interview with Vonn by asking whether going first was a disadvantage, Vonn dove right in:
"Yeah, you know [going] number one is always very difficult, especially in the super-G. We haven't been on the trail yet this year. It was a pretty big disadvantage to be honest."
She went on to explain, in depth, why that was. Some might have called it a truthful answer. Other would say it's whining. Look, honesty in athletes is refreshing. Honesty in an attempt at self-martyrdom - not so much.
Going first isn't unfair, per se, it's just unfortunate, like when a football team used to lose the coin toss in overtime and never touch the ball. Vonn's fate wasn't sealed when the start order came out, she merely got the short end of the ski pole.
When she finished her race (after going first, in case you hadn't heard), Vonn shouted "I tried" to the cameras (it's all for the cameras), in a clear attempt to downplay yet another Olympic disappointment. It was all so disingenuous, like her interview with Cox.
Vonn is the best skier of her generation and was heavily favored to win the super-G. She made a mistake, however understandable it might have been, and hiding behind some shrugged shoulders and participation-trophy lingo won't change that. "I tried" is what someone like Pita Taufatofua (the shirtless Tongan) can say after learning cross country skiing three months ago and completing an Olympic race on Friday. That's beneath Lindsey Vonn.
Her Olympics is far from over. Vonn's best race, the downhill, is upcoming and a gold there erases any bad taste from the super-G. But Lindsey Vonn is going to have to do a lot more than try if she doesn't want to be the biggest disappointment of the 2018 Olympics - even if she has to go first.