It looks like Lindsey Vonn will have company for her downhill race in Val d’Isere, France, on Saturday -- boyfriend Tiger Woods.
Woods was spotted in Val d’Isere on Friday, a day after a blog was posted on his website saying he would put his “clubs away for a while” to spend time with his kids and support Vonn as she prepares for the Sochi Olympics.
“We see our sports through the same looking glass in how we approach them,” the blog read. “We both work very hard and are prepared for our seasons. And when we’re ready to go, we give it everything we possibly have and there’s no holding back. I think that’s some of our commonalities. But she has to be way more aggressive in her sport than I have to be in mine. You’re trying to make your way down a mountain at 80-plus mph, and you have to have the adrenaline and the aggressiveness to do it.
“But I think it’s the preparation that we both appreciate and the fact that we can do it time and time again, and we’ve done it for a long period of time. It’s not a flash in the pan, and you just don’t do it for one year -- she’s done it for 13 years, and I’ve done it for 18 years. As far as Lindsey competing in Sochi, we’re very hopeful. It all depends on how that knee is.”
Vonn has said Woods has helped her return from major knee surgery because he’s gone through it before.
“Having experienced reconstructive surgery on my knee and the ensuing rehab, and the amount of pain associated with it, it’s really hard to explain to anybody unless you’ve been through it,” the blog said. “And then coming back on it athletically, to trust that it’s going to be there, that’s a whole different ballgame. I’ve had my share of experiences in that regard -- unfortunately -- but I think it helps her in a sense because she can bounce ideas off me about what to expect. It is a frustrating process and really difficult to go through.”
Woods and Vonn have both been asked if Woods will be attending the Sochi Olympics and have said they are unsure, citing his schedule and Vonn’s status not being 100 percent for the Games. Though Vonn appears more and more likely to compete with every training run.
