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Less than two weeks after reconstructive right knee surgery in February 2013, Lindsey Vonn already was sounding a positive note, saying she was "really looking forward to Sochi" and defending her Olympic downhill gold medal. Along the way to the next Winter Games, though, Vonn began facing more setbacks. As shed move past one, another would surface. In the end, it was too much, even for Vonn, the most accomplished U.S. ski racer in history. Expected to be one of the biggest stars at the upcoming Games, Vonn announced Tuesday -- exactly one month before the opening ceremony -- she wont be able to race in Russia. In a Facebook posting, Vonn said she is "devastated" to miss the Olympics, "but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level." Her personal publicist, Lewis Kay, said in a statement the 29-year-old from Vail, Colo., will have knee surgery again "shortly." Like many in her risk-filled sport, Vonn has dealt with injuries often, particularly at major events. She withdrew midway through the 2011 world championships because of a concussion. She raced with a severely bruised shin at the last Olympics. She skipped a race at the 2009 worlds after slicing her thumb open on a champagne bottle. She hurt her knee in training and missed a pair of races at the 2007 worlds. She took a scary fall during training at the 2006 Olympics, then left the hospital to compete. "Shes come back. Shell be back," Vonns father, Alan Kildow, said in a telephone interview. "Youll see a lot of Lindsey Vonn in the future." Vonn left the 2010 Vancouver Games with two medals: the first Olympic downhill gold for an American woman, and a bronze in the super-G. She is also a four-time overall World Cup champion, by far the most recognized name in Alpine skiing at the moment -- and, as it happens, the girlfriend of Tiger Woods. Add it all up, and she would have been the focus of plenty of media coverage in Sochi, certainly a main character in NBCs coverage for a U.S. audience. "Lindsey gives you great promotional value, and shes an amazing athlete and an amazing story," said Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics. "But there are amazing athletes that are going to be in Sochi, many of which we know, some of which we havent identified yet." To those in the world of skiing, theres no doubt about the sports most important athlete of late. "Without Lindsey Vonn, the races are just not the same," Canadian womens Alpine coach Hugues Ansermoz said last month. "She just attracts so much interest. When Lindsey Vonn is here, there are more people coming to watch the race, there is more interest on TV, more journalists are interested. And her relationship with Tiger Woods makes even more people interested." But Vonn has rarely been present on the elite skiing circuit the past 12 months. She tore two ligaments in her right knee and broke a bone in that leg during a high-speed crash at the world championships last February. As Vonn neared a return, she re-tore her surgically repaired ACL in a crash during training in November. After finishing 40th, 11th and fifth in a trio of World Cup races at Lake Louise, Alberta, in early December, Vonn sprained her MCL during a downhill at Val dIsere, France, two weeks later. "I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL," Vonn said Tuesday via Facebook. "Im having surgery soon so that I can be ready for the World Championships at home in Vail next February," she wrote. "On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold." Mikaela Shiffrin, the reigning world champion in slalom, and Julia Mancuso, a three-time Olympic medallist , will now draw extra attention as American women trying to reach the Alpine skiing podium in Sochi. Top skiers from other countries who will be favoured for medals include Germanys Maria Hoefl-Riesch, Switzerlands Lara Gut, Slovenias Tina Maze and Liechtensteins Tina Weirather. Shiffrin, the U.S. teenager labeled the "next Vonn" by some, wrote on Twitter that its "hard to swallow" that Vonn wont be competing in Sochi. Another American racer, Stacey Cook, posted on Facebook: "Our team is not the same without you. You leave big shoes to fill." After skiing in two downhills and a super-G at Lake Louise last month, Vonn sounded optimistic, declaring she would be in Sochi, "fighting for my medal." But shortly thereafter in France -- with Woods watching in the finish area -- Vonn lost her balance. Her left ski lifted, forcing weight onto her right knee. She grimaced, then clutched that leg. Kay said Tuesday an MRI "showed an MCL sprain, which coupled with the torn ACL, has made it impossible to stabilize her knee and be ready to safely ski again next month." Now Vonn will turn her attention to the 2015 world championships in Colorado. Theres also this: She needs three wins to match the World Cup record of 62 race victories set by Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria. "I have every ounce of confidence that Lindsey will be in the starting gate next World Cup season, ready to compete," said Bill Marolt, the CEO and president of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. "She knows the hard work it takes to get to the top and still has significant goals to achieve in what has been an incredible career." U.S. racers captured eight Alpine medals four years ago, their highest total at any Olympics and twice as many as any other country at Vancouver. That figure may be tough to reach with Vonn sidelined and Bode Miller, who won three medals in 2010, trying to return to form at age 36 after left knee surgery. Whats more, Mancuso has been struggling this season. Off to a poor start in pre-Olympic races, Mancuso recently headed home for a short break. "We have a strong team that is well prepared. ... Now is the time for those athletes to step up," Marolt said. Vonn, meanwhile, will go through another operation, another rehab, another road back. "You need to look at the long run. The problem with the knee is there is not an insignificant risk that youre going to do more long-term damage that cant be repaired," said Kildow, her father. "So have it repaired now. So you can compete in future years. So you can ski and enjoy yourself after you get done competing." Cheap Dodgers Jerseys China . -- Nick Bjugstad snapped out of his scoring slump and spoiled Drew MacIntyres first NHL start. Wholesale Dodgers Jerseys . They probably ruined Tim Duncans hopes of a career change, though. Duncan wants to be a point guard, coach Gregg Popovich revealed Saturday, a wish that wont be granted. http://www.cheapdodgersjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-babe-herman-jersey . He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. Cheap Sandy Koufax Jersey .com) - Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James will sit out Thursdays game against the Oklahoma City Thunder with left knee soreness. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .com) - Patrick Reed poured in a 19-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole Monday to defeat Jimmy Walker and win the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.NEW YORK -- Aaron Hill was ready to wait all night to get this game in. Hill had a two-run homer wiped out by a rain storm that postponed the Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Mets in the fourth inning on Friday night after a delay of 2 hours, 11 minutes. "To get a win ... yeah," Hill said. "We need a few of those." The game will be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader on Sunday. The first game will start at 1:10 p.m. Manager Kirk Gibson said the Diamondbacks, who are in last place in the NL West at 18-31, will likely call up a pitcher for the makeup start Sunday. The Mets will go with Daisuke Matsuzaka in the second game of the traditional twinbill. Rafael Montero will make his regularly scheduled start in the opener against Bronson Arroyo. Matsuzaka has been pitching out of the bullpen this season but the converted starter doesnt see going deep into the game as a problem. "I pitched yesterday but just one inning, did not throw too many pitches," Matsuzaka said through a translator. "I do not think 100 pitches should be a problem" The Diamondbacks are flying back to Arizona after the game Sunday. They host the San Diego Padres on Monday night but the doubleheader was the only option for the teams that do not meet again this season. They have no common days off the rest of the way. "Id rather stay," and wait it out, Gibson said, "but I can see it was raining." Last seasons series between the teams at Citi Field was also plagued by rain. "Good old New York," Hill said. Hill gave Arizona the lead in the second inning with a homer off Bartolo Colon that just cleared the fence in left field. Rookie Chase Anderson allowed one hit and a walk in his third big league start for the Diamondbacks. Dark clouds rolled in during the bottom of the third inning and the public address announcer made a request for fans sitting in exposed areas to move to protected areas. After Colon pitched a perfect fourth, thhe grounds crew brought out the tarp and rain began to fall shortly after.dddddddddddd The Mets swept the Diamondbacks in a three-game series in Arizona April 14-16, but the teams are in very different places now. The Mets are 6-14 in May while the D-backs are 9-9 even though they were just dropped three straight at St. Louis. Hill connected on a two-seam fastball from Colon after Miguel Montero led off with a nubber up the third base line for a hit. Mets manager Terry Collins before the game talked about how Colon, who turns 41 Saturday, needs to use his off-speed pitches more to be effective. He started out Hill with a slider then threw him four straight two-seamers. Colon has had an up and down start to his first year in New York. He gave up two runs in eight innings in his previous start, a win over Washington, but yielded seven runs in 5 2-3 innings against the Yankees five days earlier. He entered 3-5 with a 5.34 ERA. Anderson gave up a two-out single to David Wright in the first and walked former Diamondbacks outfielder Chris Young leading off the second. Wilmer Flores grounded into a 5-4-3 double play to end the inning and Anderson was perfect in the third. "I felt like I was starting to roll after that third inning," Anderson said. "If we went to the fourth, fifth, I felt pretty good." NOTES: Mets C Travis dArnaud (concussion) took BP on the field. His next step before getting MLB doctors approval is catching a bullpen session. When he is finally cleared to play in games, Collins thinks dArnaud will need 8-10 rehab at-bats. ... Diamondbacks RHP J.J. Putz (forearm strain) has been playing long toss and is nearing a bullpen session, Gibson says there is no timetable yet for his return. ... Gibson was watching on a TV in his office his son Cam play in the Big Ten baseball tournament. Cam had four hits in a win over Illinois. ... Up Next: Arizonas Josh Collmenter (2-2) is scheduled to face New Yorks Zack Wheeler (1-4) Saturday. ' ' '