Lindsey Vonn’s skis didn’t come off during Olympic crash and a different binding system isn’t close
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Images Lindsey Vonn I fell on the snow, screamed in pain, and then removed from route by helicopter What happened after his accident at the Olympics was a reminder of the dangers of going downhill.
So is this: His skis didn’t come off.
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Vonn’s boots remained locked to her skis even after her pinwheel-like fall. Milan Cortina GamesHe was awkwardly pointing in different directions as he stood in obvious pain.
It’s impossible to know whether Vonn would have suffered a less serious injury (her complex tibia fracture already required multiple surgeries) if her skis had been released. But the devastating injury shed light on the importance of bindings, which hold boots to skis and remain one of the oldest technologies in the sport.
A binding system designed to automatically release skis when a racer like Vonn loses control is still in the drawing board stage after years of discussion, officials told The Associated Press.
“Unfortunately, sometimes it takes terrible accidents to shine a light on what can be done,” he said. Sophie Goldschmidt, President and CEO of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association. “This is an area in which we cannot compete; we must take part in this field together with our colleagues from different countries and the FIS (International Ski and Snowboard Federation).”
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Bindings haven’t changed significantly in their basic design in half a century: When a skier steps in with their toe first and then locks in by stepping down with their heel, pressure needs to be applied for the system to release the boot. Less skilled skiers have easier-to-release bindings to prevent leg injuries; The higher the skill level and the more serious the skiing, the more tightening the bindings are to keep elite racers on their skis.
Few were surprised that Vonn’s skis didn’t break free. The question is whether they should have it.
A ‘smarter’ binding could make an athlete’s skis pop off
Peter Gerdol, FIS women’s race director on the Olympics and World Cup circuit, said the so-called “smart binding” system, which is based on an algorithm and designed to automatically release when a skier loses control, would “absolutely” have helped prevent Vonn from breaking her leg.
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“The system will be designed to do exactly that,” Gerdol told the AP. “Their skis would definitely fly off…. We have seen many other cases where the bindings fail to release and this leads to knee problems, especially when the still-bound ski acts as a lever on the net, snow, gate or any other obstacle. The leg becomes blocked and the knee collapses.”
Nine days before her Olympic accident, Vonn tore the cruciate ligaments in her left knee in an accident in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. With his skis still attached, he threw himself into the safety nets.
The smart binding system may borrow technology from the safety airbag system that has become mandatory for skiers in speed races this season.
“It will still take time to develop, but the idea is that the binding will be triggered by the same algorithm that causes the airbag to inflate,” Gerdol said. “The heel piece would slide back and the athlete’s skis would fly off.”
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Algorithm measuring rotations and body position needs adaptation
Dainese and its sister company, D-Air Lab, spent years developing an algorithm that would enable airbags to deploy under skiers’ racing suits, after creating a similar system for motorcycle racing.
In coordination with FIS, Dainese shares its air cushion algorithm with top binding suppliers such as Look, Tyrolia, Salomon, Atomic and Marker, with the aim of adapting the formula to release the skis.
Releasing the skis is potentially more dangerous than inflating the airbag. Elite skiers can sometimes make spectacular recoveries after getting airborne, and they can also often use the brakes to brake their skis before hitting safety fences.
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“This is a very complex project,” said Marco Pastore, the Dainese representative on the airbag system track. “If you release the binding, you have to be absolutely sure that you’re doing it at the right time. You can look at turns and whole body position for air cushion. But you need to look at how the feet move in the bindings, what the trajectory of the skis is, as well as a number of other variables.”
Finance is an issue for complex security projects
While FIS wants to coordinate the project, problems remain over who will pay.
“These are very costly projects and, to be honest, Dainese has not gained much from the airbags,” Pastore said. “It’s costing us money right now. Everyone wants these great things, but at the end of the day, someone has to pay for it.”
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Sasha Rearick, head coach of the U.S. men’s ski team from 2008-18, recalls engaging discussions nearly a decade ago when he was in charge of the World Cup coaches’ working group.
“The problem is that Dainese is the one who invested the money and all the investments,” Rearick said. “So if they’re sharing that with the binding companies, the binding companies now have to invest heavily, and that’s probably going to be (very) costly.”
Men’s World Cup and Olympics race director Markus Waldner said earlier this season that the FIS was “working with bio-mechanists and manufacturers to improve boot and binding standards to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic edge catching at high speed.”
However, Gerdol suggested that the project could take between two and six years to be implemented.
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Will ski racers use the technology?
To prevent skis from flying off, ski technicians unfasten racers’ bindings, almost locking them in place.
Leo Mussi, the ski technician for American downhill athletes Bryce Bennett and Sam Morse, said he adjusted his racers’ bindings to a pressure of up to 200 kilograms (440 pounds); That’s more than double what even a store-bought binding can do.
Austrian racer Marco Schwarz suffered A serious knee injury in an accident on the downhill of Bormio in December 2023. His skis did not release as he slid towards the safety net.
“It’s hard to say,” he said of whether launching the skis would have saved him from injury, and he’s unsure about changing things.
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“The best way is to keep it simple,” Schwarz said. “I don’t want to put too much pressure on more technology.”
American Nina O’Brien, who had to endure four surgeries after suffering a devastating compound fracture at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, said she did not blame any equipment problems for her accident and trusted her technician.
“Even though I put the skis on that morning and went out and got a coffee,” O’Brien said, “when I step back, he’s checking them to make sure they’re perfect.”
Advances in ski racing safety have been slow
The airbag system was first tested on the World Cup circuit in 2013 and only this season has it become mandatory in downhill and super-G speed races. Meanwhile, some skiers said the packs hinder their aerodynamics, are uncomfortable to wear or can cause injuries.
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Security issues have become a more pressing issue lately. Italian skier Matteo Franzoso He died following an accident during pre-season training in Chile.
“Unfortunately, it always has to be something serious for people to say, ‘No. We need to do something now,'” Pastore said.
This is also the first season. cut resistant underwear Required for all events in the World Cup and Olympics.
There is plenty of room for security improvements. When developing the smart lacing system, Rearick, who is now director of Apex 2100, an international ski academy in Tignes, France, suggested racing suits be considered.
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“Make a suit material for everyone that is a little warmer, a little slower, and cut-resistant,” Rearick said. “This will make the sport much safer for everyone.”
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Graham reported from Bormio.
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
