Lindsey Vonn "Hopeful" to Ski Next Week, But Still Has "a Long Ways to Go" Recovering From Injury

"At this point that's all I can do is stay positive," she tells Today

By Rebecca Macatee Nov 27, 2013 12:51 PMTags
Lindsey VonnAP Photo/Nathan Bilow

Lindsey Vonn's been "progressing every day" with her physical therapy following her Nov. 20 skiing injury, and the Olympian is optimistic about her competitive future.

Tiger Woods' girlfriend appeared on Today Wednesday, Nov. 27, telling Matt Lauer she's "hopeful" she'll "be racing next week." But, the athlete admitted honestly, she "really doesn't know yet" if her partially-torn ACL can withstand hitting the slopes —or  in February 2014 at the Sochi Winter Olympics.

"If [things don't go well] I'm going to have to reassess," she said. "I'm feeling good from rehab—I feel stable, and I've put some weight [on my knee].  It felt really good. I'm very hopeful, but I really don't know until I get on snow."

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"There definitely is a long ways to go there, but I'm confident it's going to be ok," she said. "At this point that's all I can do is stay positive."

In an interview earlier this year with USA Today Sports, Vonn made it very clear that the 2014 Winter Games are her top priority.  "I would love to win as many World Cups as possible," she said prior to sustaining her knee injury, "but my main focus is definitely on the Olympics."

"If I start off slow, it's fine," she said.  "I just want to make sure that by the time I get to Sochi that I'm 100 percent in those events."