Vonn shrugs off injury to extend World Cup lead

[February 29, 2016]  (Reuters) - Lindsey Vonn, skiing with a knee brace to protect a hairline fracture, extended her World Cup lead on Sunday with 13th place in the Soldeu combined event in Andorra.

"No-one can ever call me a wimp," the American declared on Twitter after setting the fastest time in the super-G leg of the event.

On Saturday, Vonn, who is seeking her fifth overall World Cup title, was carried off the slope on a sled after crashing out of the Soldeu super-G race. An X-ray examination showed a hairline fracture in her left knee.

The 31-year-old Vonn, already sporting a brace on her right knee to protect one of a succession of older injuries, had fluid drained from her left knee before deciding to start Sunday's event.

She had the 23rd best time in the slalom leg of the combined but was helped by the fact that her closest rival for the overall trophy, Swiss Lara Gut, failed to finish, allowing Vonn to extend her advantage in the standings to 28 points.

The combined event was won by Canada's Marie-Michele Gagnon with Swiss Wendy Holdener second and Anne-Sophie Barthet of France third.

(Reporting by Clare Fallon,; editing by Pritha Sarkar)

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