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. Fake Air Force 1 For Sale . 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." Nike Sf Air Force 1 Uk .The other side of the Bruins special teams unit delivered in the end.Gregory Campbell netted the game-winner with less than 10 minutes remaining and the Bruins fended off a late four-minute San Jose power play to earn a wild 5-3 win over the Sharks. Off White Air Force 1 For Sale Uk . The Oilers will try to get back in the win column on Monday when they continue a four-game road trip with a battle against the Buffalo Sabres. Edmonton won its third straight game last Wednesday against visiting San Jose, beating the Sharks 3-0 as Scrivens stopped 59 shots to set an NHL record for saves in a regular-season shutout. http://www.airforce1cheapuk.com/ . Coming off a 6-0 drubbing at Chelsea on Saturday, Arsenal endured another demoralizing result after rallying for a 2-1 lead -- only to concede a fluke equalizer. DETROIT -- The Detroit Tigers insisted they were not concerned about their worst skid of the year a few hours before playing the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox in a rematch of the AL championship series. Detroit later showed it still has what it takes to win with strong pitching, big hits and usually sound defence. Ian Kinsler and Torii Hunter hit back-to-back homers in the fifth inning and Victor Martinez cleared the fences in the eighth, helping Detroit beat Boston 6-2 and end a season-high five-game losing streak Friday. "This was a good night for everyone," Drew Smyly said after pitching six strong innings. Detroit had lost 13 of 17 games, including the previous four, since sweeping the Red Sox on the road a few weeks ago. "Ive spoken to players a couple times over this stretch," Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. "Theres no reason to throw a fit unless its a lack of effort or concentration. This stretch has not been caused by a lack of concentration or effort." Smyly (3-4) snapped a skid of his own. He was 0-2 in his last two starts, giving up a total of nine runs over nine innings, and was 0-3 in his previous six outings. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits over six innings and struck out four, walking only one against the Red Sox. "He was locating his pitches and keeping us off balance," Boston centre fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. said after going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts. "He had command on both sides of the plate." Rubby De La Rosa, meanwhile, paid a steep price for letting some pitches sail too high. De La Rosa (1-1) gave up four runs, nine hits and two walks. He had five strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings. In his first start of the season, he threw seven scoreless innings against Tampa Bay last week. "I feel almost 100 per cent like last time," De La Rosa said. "I just missed more pitches." Boston has lost four straight after winning seven in a row. The Red Sox are averaging fewer than three runs during the losing streak. "Offensively, were scuffling,&quuot; Red Sox manager John Farrell said. Air Force 1 Cheap Uk. . "Weve had a rough go with runners in scoring position." The Red Sox hope to end a trend this weekend. In their last seven series, they been swept four times and have won each game in the other three matchups. "We became so accustomed to being consistent," Farrell said. "The last two and a half weeks have been difficult." Kinsler and Hunter cleared the fences during a three-pitch sequence in the fifth, giving the Tigers a 4-1 lead. "They squared (De La Rosa) up when he was up in the strike zone," Farrell said. The Red Sox pulled within two runs in the sixth when Dustin Pedroia reached on Romines throwing error, advanced to third on David Ortizs single through the right side against a shifted infield and scored on Jonny Gomes sacrifice fly. Detroits Ian Krol and Joba Chamberlain each threw an inning of scoreless relief and Joe Nathan pitched the ninth in a non-save situation. NOTES: Tigers C Alex Avila is expected to miss Saturdays game after being hit in the head by Ortizs backswing in the eighth inning, and being replaced by Bryan Holaday. "Hes in a good humour, but he got stung pretty good," Ausmus said. ... Red Sox hitting coach Greg Colbrunn is expected to stay hospitalized in Cleveland for at least another week after he had bleeding in the area between his brain and the thin tissues covering it. Tim Hyers, Bostons minor league hitting co-ordinator, is filling in for Colbrunn while hes away from the team indefinitely. ... Tigers SS Eugenio Suarez was held out of the lineup to rest his sore left knee and Ausmus said he is "hour to hour," when asked for timetable on his return. ... The Tigers will send RHP Max Scherzer (6-2) to the mound against Red Sox LHP Jon Lester (6-6) on Saturday in a nationally televised game. ... Boston RHP Clay Buchholz (left knee) is scheduled to throw a simulated game Saturday in Detroit, where Mike Napoli, who is on the DL with a sprained left finger, is expected to hit against him. ' ' '