Winter Olympics 2018: Vonn joins star exodus from team event

Add as a preferred source on Google

Pyeongchang, Feb 19: Lindsey Vonn is the latest star of alpine skiing to withdraw from the team event at the Winter Olympics.

A mixed-gender knockout competition was introduced in last year's World Championships - France taking the inaugural gold medal.

The event is slated to bring to an end the alpine skiing program in Pyeongchang, but its proximity to FIS World Cup events has seen a slew of big names pull out.

Marcel Hirscher will not look to add to the two gold medals he has already won in South Korea, while Team USA will be without Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin - their absences prompting Vonn's decision.

"I was an absolute no before but I was thinking about it," Vonn said on Monday.

"But now Ted's gone and Mikaela is not doing it and so I don't really think we have a strong chance of getting a medal since none of our top athletes are doing it so I probably won't."

Vonn is slated to compete in the ladies downhill and alpine combined this week, having been among the favourites stunned by Ester Ledecka in Saturday's super-G final.

The Czech is a world champion snowboarder and competed on skis borrowed from Shiffrin on her unlikely run to gold - one of the all-time biggest shocks in alpine skiing at the Olympics.

Source: OPTA/Omnisport