Lindsey Vonn Injures Back During World Cup Super-G

Olympic hopeful Lindsey Vonn suffered a back injury during a World Cup race in Switzerland Saturday, forcing the champion skier to withdraw from the competition. Per USA Today, Vonn collapsed at the finish line, clutching her lower back in pain. She tweeted afterward that her back seized up during the race and that she was being treated for “acute facet (spinal joint) dysfunction.” Vonn finished in 24th place despite jarring her back early into the race, ESPN reports, but ultimately decided to withdraw from her next World Cup event to rest up for the 2018 Olympics, which will take place in South Korea.

“Unfortunately I will not be able to race today,” she wrote to her 959,000 Twitter followers. “I am extremely disappointed but my biggest goal this season is the Olympics and I need to take care of myself now so I can be ready for next week, and more importantly, for February. As always, thank you for the well wishes.” (No stranger to injuries, Vonn was airlifted by helicopter in a past super-G.) Should she make it to the Olympics, the 33-year-old skier has shown she's not afraid to mix politics with sports. "I hope to represent the people of the United States," she told CNN, "not the president." (More Lindsey Vonn stories.)