A visual reminder of why Lindsey Vonn was our best hope in Sochi

America's fastest female racer has withdrawn from the winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn, 2010 Vancouver Olympics
(Image credit: (AP Photo/Gero Breloer))

It would have been incredible — a miracle, even — to watch Lindsey Vonn whip down the Rosa Khutor Alpine Resort in Sochi this February. It was just under a year ago, after all, that the downhill gold medalist careened off the super-G course during the World Championships in Austria. After being airlifted and undergoing reconstructive surgery to repair several torn ligaments in her right knee, Vonn vowed to make it to Sochi.

But three months ago, she re-tore her right ACL, which was reportedly reconstructed using a 10-inch piece of Vonn's right hamstring. Ultimately, her Frankenstein knee proved too unstable and the 29-year-old announced today that she would not be able to compete in Sochi.

While we mourn the loss of the Olympic Games' cause cèlébre, let's take a look back at why Vonn remains the best U.S. female racer in history.

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Lauren Hansen

Lauren Hansen produces The Week’s podcasts and videos and edits the photo blog, Captured. She also manages the production of the magazine's iPad app. A graduate of Kenyon College and Northwestern University, she previously worked at the BBC and Frontline. She knows a thing or two about pretty pictures and cute puppies, both of which she tweets about @mylaurenhansen.