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Novak Djokovic’s Wife Jelena Goes Strapless in Classic Flared Dress for Laureus Awards, Novak Wins Sportsman of the Year Award 2024

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The Djokovics dressed up to the nines for the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards on Monday in Madrid.

Novak Djokovic walked the red carpet with his wife, Jelena Djokovic, in coordinated style. The tennis superstar donned a black tuxedo with satin lapels, a matching bow tie and shiny patent leather shoes. Jelena kept it classic in a black strapless dress with a flared skirt and pockets for a modern touch. She accessorized with diamond necklace, earrings and rings.

MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 22: Jelena Ristic and Novak Djokovic arrive at the Laureus World Sports Awards at Galería De Cristal on April 22, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images for Laureus)

During the ceremony, Tom Brady presented Novak with the Sportsman of the Year award, marking the Serbian’s fifth time receiving the honor, which he had previously earned in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2019. The award recognized his standout performance throughout 2023 when Novak won majors at the Australian Open, Roland Garros and the U.S. Open.

“The Laureus Awards are so special because they represent recognition from the 69 world-class athletes who make up the Laureus World Sports Academy. To earn the votes of my sporting heroes is what makes these awards so coveted in all of sport,” Novak said in his speech.

Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena djokovic at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards on April 22 in Madrid. MADRID, SPAIN - APRIL 22: Jelena Ristic and Novak Djokovic arrive at the Laureus World Sports Awards at Galería De Cristal on April 22, 2024 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images for Laureus)

Novak Djokovic is an ambassador for many brands, including Lacoste, Asics, Montblanc, NetJets, Peugeot and Head. He signed with Lacoste in 2017. In the summer of 2021, the brand extended the on-court apparel sponsorship deal until 2025.

Jelena is known for embracing high-fashion labels while accompanying her husband to sporting events. In 2023, she was seen in ensembles from Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Self-Portrait. Jelena is also the president of the Novak Foundation, which was launched in 2007 with the goal of helping educate children in Serbia, specifically making sure they get to kindergarten.

Novak Djokovic and wife Jelena djokovic at the 2024 Laureus World Sports Awards on April 22 in Madrid. Serbia's tennis player Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena pose on the Red Carpet ahead of the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards gala in Madrid on April 22, 2024. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP) (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO/AFP via Getty Images)

Other winners of the 25th Laureus World Sports Awards include Jude Bellingham and Simone Biles. See the complete list below.

Laureus World Sports Awards 2024 Winners:

  • World Sportswoman of the Year: Aitana Bonmati
  • World Sportsman of the Year: Novak Djokovic
  • World Team of the Year: Spain Women’s Football Team
  • World Breakthrough of the Year: Jude Bellingham
  • World Comeback of the Year: Simone Biles
  • World Sportsperson of the Year with a Disability: Diede de Groot
  • World Action Sportsperson of the Year: Arisa Trew
  • Laureus Sport for Good: Rafa Nadal Foundation
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BOXING

Gervonta Davis ruthlessly trolls Devin Haney in first response after Ryan Garcia beats champion

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Gervonta Davis has immediately mocked Devin Haney after he was beaten by Ryan Garcia.

Garcia was the underdog in a clash with WBC super-lightweight champion Haney, with the challenger having missed weight meaning he was unable to win the belt.

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And the favorite was sent crashing to the canvas three times in a fight which saw him lose on the judges scorecards’ by majority decision.

Davis immediately took to social media to mock Haney and his father Bill who was ringside, tweeting: “Forget Devin. WHERE BILL AT WHERE DIRT AT!”

He then added in a separate tweet: “And what about you d*** riding a** people.

“Yo I’m gonna give you all the address to dirt spot in Cherry Hill.

“Need you all to send mad pics, a big a** poster to his crib of Devin a** in the air (pause).”

Garcia’s conqueror then concluded his trolling session, by finishing: “That’s what happens when you fight someone the same size as you.”

Davis beat Garcia in April 2023 stopping him to hand ‘King Ry’ the maiden defeat of his professional career.

‘Tank’ also holds a rivalry with Haney as the pair have previously talked up a showdown, which has yet to materialize.

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Garcia bounced back in sensational style, with Haney able to reach the final bell despite touching the canvas in the seventh, tenth and eleventh periods.

Haney does retain his belt due to Garcia missing weight for the 140lbs clash, and he will now look to rebuild in a similar way to his rival’s redemption path after losing to Davis.

In the aftermath of the clash, Haney insisted he would be open to a sequel next.

Garcia shared the same opinion, and said in his post-fight interview: “I would love a rematch.

“I gave him a shot, it’s only right he gives me a shot back.

“He didn’t make weight so I’m still the champion. We can run it back.”

Garcia’s stocks have rose significantly, and now a mouthwatering second showdown with Davis seems likely down the line.

It was a monumental display from the winner, who had received so much concern from the boxing world prior to the showdown.

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BOXING

Boxing Legend, Mayweather Dies Of Diabetes

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Floyd Mayweather Uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather is dead. He died on Tuesday’s night in the United States of America after a long battle with diabetes.

The former world champion who won 59 out of his 72 professional bouts moulded Floyd Mayweather into one of the best pound for pound boxers of the world died in Michigan hospital aged 58.

Floyd, who is a nephew to Roger has described him as one of the most important personalities in his life and said his death was a terrible loss.

“My uncle was one of the most important people in my life inside and outside of the ring, Roger meant the world to me, my father Floyd Sr., my uncle Jeff, our whole family, everyone in and around the Mayweather Boxing Gym and the entire boxing world. It is a terrible loss for all of us.” The unbeaten boxer said in a statement.

The “Black Manba” as the late Roger was fondly called won the WBA super featherweight and WBC super lightweight former world title holder worked with Floyd Mayweather for 12 years before calling it quit with the flamboyant boxer due to protracted battle with diabetes before he finally lost the battle on Tuesday’s night.

He started his career in 1981 and ended in 1999 when he defeated Javier Francisco Mendez on May 8, 1999. He ended his career with a total of nine major and minor titles in four weight classes. May his soul rest In peace.

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TENNIS

Simona Halep is happy to provide an accountable explanation, while ready to move forward

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On a visit to Bucharest for a forthcoming, no-holds-barred interview with the Romanian star.

The comedian Neal Brennan has a new bit about why elite athletes exhibit sub-elite mental health. When you exist on a plane of your own, your relationship with reality is a tenuous one. Michael Jordan’s five-alarm competitive fire was a central theme of The Last Dance. Brennan jokes about the mental make-up of gymnasts suspending themselves in midair while wearing a spangly swimsuit. (His words.) And don’t get him started on Tiger Woods.

Simona Halep says she was nervous about returning to tennis after her doping ban appeal - NBC Sports

The joke falls flat, though, when considering Simona Halep. Even as she rose to No. 1 and won a pair of majors—most notably destroying Serena Williams in the 2019 Wimbledon final—Halep was always so ferociously normal. All awareness and self-awareness, modest of stature and modest of self-regard, she scanned as, well, one of us.

Which made her 2022 doping ban all the more confusing. You operate at your peril when you speculate about which athletes do and don’t take PEDs. But, of all people, wasn’t Halep too rational to risk so much reputational damage—and suspension—for a couple extra wins?

Does she still take supplements? Yes, surprisingly. Does she relish returning to competition? Yes. Does she see herself winning multiple majors? Maybe not.

In the late summer of 2022, Halep tested positive for Roxadustat, sometimes called “oxygen in a pill.” Adamantly, she maintained her innocence. Last month, Halep’s four-year ban was dramatically commuted after a successful appeal, a panel concluding the preponderance of evidence supported her belief a supplement was tainted and she had not intentionally doped.

Simona Halep loses on return from doping ban while Caroline Wozniacki criticizes awarding of Romanian's wild card | CNN

Her penalty was slashed, drastically, to nine months. But because she had already been out of tennis for 15 months, she was immediately eligible to return.

Still, she’s enough of a realist to recognize the need for damage control, that her reputation was in need of some repair work. She realizes there will always be a sector who might associate her with a doping violation (all the more so in tennis, where players are strictly responsible for what goes into their body). But, she also knows that you don’t get your good name back by hiding.

So it was on an early spring Thursday, I flew to Bucharest to meet with Halep at a swanky tennis club built and owned by another member of Romanian tennis royalty, Ion Tiriac. I came to interview her about her ordeal. No preconditions were placed on the interview. She just wanted to give her side of the story, share her reality. And there’s an unmistakable sense she gets that she owes the Republic of Tennis an accountable explanation—one she is happy to provide.

Simona Halep confident of being cleared of doping charges

She showed up in a SUV. She came with racquets. She did not come armed with notes, talking points, lawyerly statements or a handler. She spent an hour taking all questions and evading none.

Is she still angry at a system she believes fails her? Yes. Were there times she considered simply quitting? Yes. Is she enraged at her former coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, who recommended and obtained the supplements? No. Does she still take supplements? Yes, surprisingly. Does she relish returning to competition? Yes. Does she see herself winning multiple majors? Maybe not. Would she rather be talking about forehands and backhands and matches? Yes. But she knows the reality right now.

Former French Open and Wimbledon champion Simona Halep suspended 4 years for doping - Yahoo Sports

Halep is 32 now. Her ranking is basically non-existent. (No. 1,144, to be precise.) Even though she stayed in physical shape during her absence, she lacks rhythm and match play. She knows—again, with the realism—that she will need to rely on the kindness of wild cards for this comeback to get going. But she’ll be out there. She’ll face her opponents. She’ll face her questions. She’ll confront her reality. She’ll move forward.

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BOXING

Deontay Wilder reveals what he want with Anthony Joshua if he has a big win over Zhilei Zhang

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Deontay Wilder says he is “90%” sure a fight with Anthony Joshua will happen in the future.

The American heavyweight faces Zhilei Zhang on 1 June, six months on from his shock defeat by Joseph Parker.

The loss to Parker derailed a planned fight against Joshua, but Wilder says the long-awaited bout can still happen.

“People are always going to want to see that fight no matter what,” Wilder told BBC Sport. “I put it in the high 90s [percentage chance of happening].”

Joshua and Wilder both fought on the same night last December, with a view to meeting in April 2024, but the Briton was forced to fomer UFC champion Francis Ngannou instead after Wilder’s defeat.

Wilder, 38, says the loss was in part down to his 14 months of inactivity leading up to the Parker fight, but said a big win will resurrect interest in the contest.

“I always said it before, it’ll be a shame if we never fought,” Wilder said of Joshua.

“It only takes that one fight, that one night. June 1st is going to be that night, that one fight.

“Deontay Wilder knocks [Zhang’s] head off and the world goes crazy.

“And there we go again, Wilder versus Joshua. They want it [again].”

‘The monster wasn’t there’
Wilder will fight Zhang as part of the five-versus-five Matchroom Promotions v Queensberry Promotions card on 1 June in Saudi Arabia.

The heavyweight contest was the surprise addition as Wilder signed a one-fight deal with Matchroom to be part of the event.

Zhang, 40, also comes into the fight off the back of a defeat by Parker, and both men would face an uphill battle to a world title shot with another loss.

Wilder said he lost his “desire and hunger” going into his fight with Parker, saying his “body wasn’t responding like my mind”.

“That monster wasn’t there no more,” Wilder said.

“It was one of those boring fights where if anyone did any type of action they won.

“That’s how I look at that fight. Joseph Parker is definitely not better than Deontay Wilder, at all. He was just the better man on the night.”

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TENNIS

Iga Swiatek makes history with Lancôme sponsorship

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World No.1 Iga Swiatek became the first athlete to sign a worldwide brand ambassadorship with the beauty company Lancôme, she announced this week.

The four-time Grand Slam champion, entering her 99th week at the top of the WTA rankings this week, joins famous faces like Zendaya and Julia Roberts as ambassadors for the nearly 90-year-old cosmetics house. Her first brush with Lancôme came as a teenager, when she was gifted the brand’s Idôle perfume.

The thought of joining A-list celebrities as a face of the brand never entered her mind at the time, she wrote in an Instagram post announcing the partnership on Tuesday.

“I haven’t even thought that I will be announcing my cooperation with a beauty brand like this a couple of years later… This is huge for me,” she said.

The launch was accompanied by a photoshoot featuring Swiatek by Gosia Turczyńska, who captured her posing in a black jumpsuit — popping out from a white background — while wearing bold red lipstick.

Also the first Polish ambassador for the brand, Swiatek also wrote that she was excited to be able to “celebrate [her] femininity” as a result of the collaboration.

“Because as a tennis player, wearing mainly sports clothes, I don’t have a lot of opportunities to do so,” she said, noting that she will also collaborate with Lancôme on an initiative in Poland that will support women in the job market.

“She perfectly mirrors Lancôme’s expertise in the beauty world, and she is the voice of the young generation and an inspiration for all,” a post on Lancôme’s social media channels said. “Iga has repeatedly demonstrated that she has worked hard for her success, masterfully setting boundaries and establishing her own rules.

“She has also repeatedly expressed that the situation of women, not only in sports but also in other dimensions, is extremely important to her, echoing Lancôme’s commitments toward women on their path to happiness and self-fulfillment.”

Swiatek’s deal with Lancôme adds to a growing sponsorship portfolio that also includes Rolex, LEGO and Visa. Last year, she was the highest-paid female athlete in the world according to Forbes; her $23.9 million in earnings topped a Top 10 that featured nine tennis players.

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CELEB NEWS

“Do Not Watch”: Skiing Star Lindsey Vonn Walks Down Her Fans Through Her Knee Replacement Surgery

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An American former World Cup alpine ski racer and an Olympic medalist, Lindsey Vonn, had recently been through her knee replacement surgery. Announcing her battling knee issues in the past to her 2.3 million fans following on Instagram, she had stated a few days back, “After a lot of thought, research and talking to many many doctors, I decided to get a knee replacement.”

TOPSHOT – Third placed US Lindsey Vonn celebrates with the national flag during the flowers ceremony after the Women’s Downhill event of the 2019 FIS Alpine Ski World Championships at the National Arena in Are, Sweden on February 10, 2019. – Vonn, 34, who will retire from competitive skiing, is the most successful women skier of all time, with a record 20 World Cup titles to her name and 82 victories on the circuit. (Photo by FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT / AFP) (Photo credit should read FRANCOIS XAVIER MARIT/AFP/Getty Images)

Now that everyone from the audience was curious about how it went through, she put a detailed video of the surgery right from the operation room. Quoting the process step-by-step, Lindsey Vonn, who has been battling injuries for long, reasoned her post as a guiding light to those who wanted subjective information about the knee replacement procedure.

The latest Instagram post showcasing Vonn under the knives started with a warning, “do NOT watch if you are squeamish, I edited out the worst of it but still full warning.” Lindsey Vonn gave a tour of the hospital operation room where she went through the surgery. She gave “step-by-step” information on the procedure (watch the clip below). Despite the grueling surgery, she had some good news for the fans.

“Rehab is going to well so far! I’m cruising around without my hot pink walker so I’m pumped,” announced Lindsey. This resilience of Lindsey Vonn has always been a trademark of hers. This is not the first time she has gone for surgery for her embattled knees. But she has overcome all that with grit. But amid that, she has continued to enjoy her passion for skiing.

Cruising through the obstacles standing strong
The 39-year-old skier, Lindsey Vonn is third amongst female skiers, next to the female skiers, Annemarie Moser-Pröll and Mikaela Shiffrin—with three consecutive titles in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and another in 2012. However, she has struggled with many injuries in her past starting with a major ACL injury in 2007 and continuing with a devastating crash in the 2013 Super G World Championship that led to multiple ligament tears and tibial plateau fractures surrounding her knee.

As a frightening reminder of her injuries, she has once said, “I can’t tell you how many times people told me that I wouldn’t come back. I had two ACL surgeries, MCL meniscus. I have a plate and 19 screws in my arm.” In 2020, she said that by that time she had nine surgeries.

Though wanting to avoid the recent knee replacement surgery since last year, the 4x Overall World Champion’s lateral compartment of the knee consequently gave up, and she suffered a tri-compartment degeneration that ultimately led her to the operation theatre. Despite that, she has continued to take up tough challenges on the slopes.

Last year, she stunned everyone by skiing at the iconic Kitzbuhel slope at night. After that, Vonn said, “The Streif is literally the pinnacle of downhill skiing. It’s the hardest track in the world. If you can make it down the Streif, you’re a true downhiller.” That is how Vonn continues to prove herself on and off the slopes.

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BOXING

Mike Tyson makes a major decisive career announcement after Jake Paul fight

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Tyson and Paul will fight in July

The exhibition boxing match between Jake Paul and former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson is already a global phenomenon, three months before it will be streamed live on Netflix from AT&T Stadium. The showdown will have significant ramifications for the sport of boxing as well as the two fighters — with Paul, a former YouTube star, attempting to make a statement against Tyson, once one of the most feared athletes on the planet.

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But after the fight, life will go on for Paul and for Tyson. The latter has spent years cultivating a business and media empire away from the ring, and it received a fresh boost with a surprise announcement on Monday.

An earful…of edibles?
In 2022, Tyson and Evander Holyfield controversially announced a joint venture…selling edibles. The shock stemmed from the 1997 bout between the two boxers, in which Tyson bit off a portion of Holyfield’s left ear — and the edibles, called “Mike Bites,” are manufactured in the shape of a human ear.

On Monday, Tyson’s cannabis firm “Tyson 2.0” reached a deal with pharmaceutical company PHCANN to distribute Mike Bites and other products to German and British consumers in a groundbreaking career move for the 57-year-old boxer.

“I’m excited to make our world-class products available to medical cannabis patients in the region,” Tyson said in a statement. “Together, we’re setting new standards and delivering something that no one else is bringing to the table.”

Tyson, who owns a 420-acre “weed resort” in southern California, has previously stated that he will abandon his marijuana habit in order to prepare fully for his bout with Paul — which will take place in Arlington, Texas, on July 20.

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BOXING

Claressa Shields In Splits Over a Woman’s Near Death Experience Against a Bull

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Not that you can’t be a matador, you need guts to stand in front of a raging bull. You need to subdue your fear and be ready to face the consequences. To be lifted by a bull’s horn and sustain life-threatening injuries is a real possibility, and it almost came true for a woman. While she was saved by grace, her viral clip has left Claressa Shields laughing.

In a viral video, fans can witness a bull causing a ruckus and people taking it into a corner to avoid the bull. However, a woman was not lucky enough to run into the safety bars to save herself in time. She faced the brunt of the rampaging bull just outside the safety area. While the bull lifted her and was about to stamp her on the soil, she dropped to the ground, and someone dragged her inside the safety bars. This close call saved her, and thousands watched the viral clip. ‘GWOAT’ was one of them.

Claressa Shields reacts to a woman saved by a whisker
Shields, 29, turned to her X handle and replied to the video posted by ‘Wild Content’. She wrote, “Hahahhhah man she was gone !!”

Notably, the American boxer is making waves on the internet and has been an active user on X. She gives her unfiltered take on every minute development of the boxing world. Shields took the world by storm as she recently dropped a diss track targeting her long-time rival, Alycia Baumgardner. Instead of a boxing ring, hip-hop became the battleground.

In her humorous take, Shields made a parody of GloRilla’s hit song, ‘Yeah Glo!’ and gave the title a spin, naming it ‘Yeah GWOAT’. The undisputed champion flaunted her gold straps lying on a Maybach, boasted of her accomplishments, and slammed Baumgardner, at 15-1. The diss track followed their high-voltage encounter in Las Vegas, where Shields supposedly slapped Baumgardner’s hand. Their rivalry has been brewing for some time now. But is a fight between the two possible? The 14-0 record holder’s promoter, Dmitry Salita, lifted the veil.

‘GWOAT’ and the never-happening fight with Alycia Baumgardner
Shields, an Olympic gold medalist, and an undisputed champion, competes at middleweight. Meanwhile, Baumgardner reigns over the junior lightweight division. That effectively puts a 30-pound difference in their weight category, a gap that is hard to bridge.

Salita told Boxing Scene that the situation was similar to Manny Pacquiao pursuing a fight with Mike Tyson. He said, “It is so ridiculous. It is not real. And people that don’t really know boxing or follow women’s boxing, they just see names. They don’t understand weight classes, [but] they think about it and talk about it.” Salita has played down the scenario as “all talk.”

What do you make of this clip that left Claressa Shields in splits? Let us know in the comments below

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CELEB NEWS

Olympian Lindsey Vonn Explains Why She Had a Knee Replacement: ‘Can’t Hold Me Down for Long’

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Lindsey Vonn decided to have knee replacement surgery after sustaining several injuries throughout her career.

“After a lot of thought, research and talking to many many doctors, I made the decision to get a knee replacement,” the former Olympian, 39, wrote via Instagram on Tuesday, April 9. “I have severe tri-compartment degeneration but the main compartment that has been painful is the lateral compartment, or the outside of my knee.”

Why Lindsey Vonn Decided to Get a Knee Replacement

 

Vonn explained that while she underwent surgery last year to try to put off getting a replacement, it didn’t work out in her favor.

“My doctor for many of my surgeries, Dr. Hackett, and I did a preparation surgery last July to try to slow down the need for the replacement but also preparing other parts of my knee for the inevitable,” she continued. “But I got to the point where it was too much and my knee could not handle doing the things I love to do.”

The skier revealed that she ended up getting a “Mako Robot-assisted lateral unicompartmental replacement” which was used to cut off part of her bone and replace it with titanium. Vonn shared that the surgery was a success. She is currently recovering and is hopeful that she will now be able to live “the active life” she “always wanted.”

“Appreciate all of the well wishes🙏🏻. Means a lot to me,” she penned. “But don’t worry, this is just another bump in the road in my journey through life and you know I’ll be back up and running ASAP 💪🏻 can’t hold me down for Why Lindsey Vonn Decided to Get a Knee Replacementlong!”

 

 

Why Lindsey Vonn Decided to Get a Knee Replacement

Following her July 2023 surgery, Vonn opened up about why she had to get knee surgery in the first place.

“I’ve been dealing with all the damage from my ski racing career and have been trying to manage the pain as best I can,” she said via her Instagram Story. “This surgery is hopefully a big step to help me long term. We still have work to do, and most likely another surgery, but I hope this will help me for a bit.”

Throughout Vonn’s impressive career, she’s competed in four Olympics and received three gold medals. She is the only American woman to win an Olympic downhill gold and is the only American woman to earn four World Cup titles.

Amid her success, she also sustained many injuries over the years. In February 2019, Vonn announced that she had made the decision to retire as the wear and tear of the sport had taken a toll on her after decades on the slopes.

“The past two weeks have been some of the most emotionally challenging days of my life. I am struggling with the reality of what my body is telling me versus what my mind and heart believe I’m capable of. The unfortunate reality is my mind and body are not on the same page,” she wrote in a lengthy statement posted on her Facebook page at the time. “After many sleepless nights, I have finally accepted that I cannot continue ski racing. I will compete at the World Championships in Downhill and Super-G next week in Åre, Sweden and they will be the final races of my career.”

However, years after her retirement announcement, Vonn was still struggling with the aftermath of her knee injuries. The athlete exclusively told Us Weekly in November 2020 that she’d had nine surgeries, leaving her with “a plate and 18 screws” in her arm.

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