FILE - In this Dec. 7, 2011, file photo, Lindsey Vonn reacts after winning the women's World Cup super-G ski competition in Beaver Creek, Colo. Vonn is off to her best World Cup start, winning five of six races. She's also well on the way to reclaiming the overall title she lost by just three points to Maria Hoefl-Riesch last season. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati, File)

Vonn being tested for ‘severe intestinal pain’

By ANDREW DAMPF

| The Associated Press

First Published Nov 13 2012 12:17 pm • Last Updated Nov 19 2012 05:34 pm

Lindsey Vonn remained hospitalized in Colorado on Tuesday with "severe intestinal pain" that has been affecting her for the past two weeks.

Vonn’s spokesman, Lewis Kay, wrote in an email that the four-time overall World Cup champion was "awaiting results from diagnostic testing for severe intestinal pain."

Vonn’s ski technician, Heinz Haemmerle, told The Associated Press that this isn’t the first time the racer has gone to the hospital in Vail.

Haemmerle, who prepares Vonn’s Head skis and has been on hand in Colorado awaiting her recovery, said that Vonn hasn’t trained since going out in the second run of the season-opening giant slalom Oct. 27 in Soelden, Austria.

"She told me she feels bad and has pain all over her body and that her bones are hurting. ... She’s been (to the hospital) two or three times. This is the first time she’s stayed overnight," Haemmerle said in a telephone interview. "The coaches also don’t know. First they told me we would train again Monday, then Wednesday, now the end of the week."

Vonn recently requested to compete in a men’s downhill race, only to be rejected by the International Ski Federation. She was hoping to enter the men’s race Nov. 24 at Lake Louise, Alberta. Had she been allowed to compete against the men, Vonn would have missed the two women’s races in Aspen, Colo., because they take place the same weekend.

Vonn also skipped a slalom in Levi, Finland, last weekend, although Haemmerle said that was their plan even before the illness — to pick up more training for Aspen.

Haemmerle said that Vonn attended the Snow Ball in New York after Soelden, then went to Colorado.

"There’s been no news, so we’re kind of worried," Head racing director Rainer Salzgeber said from Austria. "It’s not good."

Both Haemmerle and Salzgeber confirmed that Vonn had no broken bones or skiing injuries.

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

About Reader Comments

---

Reader comments on sltrib.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Salt Lake Tribune. We will delete comments containing obscenities, personal attacks and inappropriate or offensive remarks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. If you see an objectionable comment, please alert us by clicking the arrow on the upper right side of the comment and selecting "Flag comment as inappropriate". If you've recently registered with Disqus or aren't seeing your comments immediately, you may need to verify your email address. To do so, visit disqus.com/account.
See more about comments here.