"Vonn's boots remained locked into her skis even after her pinwheeling fall at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026, and they pointed awkwardly in different directions as the American four-time world champion and 2010 Olympic gold medallist slid to a stop in obvious agony. It is impossible to know whether Vonn would have suffered a less serious injury her complex tibia fracture has already required multiple surgeries had her skis released."
"Officials told The Associated Press news agency that a binding system designed to automatically release skis when a racer like Vonn loses control is still in the drawing-board phase after years of stalled discussions. Unfortunately, sometimes it does take horrific accidents to shine even more of a light on what can be done, said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of the US Ski and Snowboard Association."
Lindsey Vonn suffered a complex tibia fracture after her skis failed to release during a pinwheeling crash at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026. Her boots remained locked into the skis, which pointed in different directions as she slid to a stop. Bindings hold boots to skis and have not significantly changed in basic design for half a century. A proposed automatic-release 'smart binding' system remains in the drawing-board phase after years of stalled discussions. Development faces concerns about safety, costs and whether elite racers would accept different release behavior. Less-skilled skiers use looser-release settings; racers tighten bindings to prioritize retention.
Read at www.aljazeera.com
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