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With 82 medals to her tally, Lindsey Vonn is among the most decorated alpine skiers. She retired from the sport following the PyeongChang Winter Games. However, before she headed to the 2019 Winter Games, she said something during an interview that put her at the receiving end of some pretty vile comments on social media.

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The skier appeared for an interview in December 2017 before leaving the country for the 2018 Winter Games. During the interview, she made certain remarks about the then-president of the US, Donald Trump.

What did Lindsey Vonn say during the interview?

The statements she made did not sit well with some people. Soon after Vonn made these remarks, the Olympian received widespread backlash from netizens and supposed Trump supporters. But these negative comments increased manifold when news of her back injury during a super-G event at the 2017-18 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup began gaining traction.

The interviewer asked the three-time Olympic medalist about her opinions on competing for a country “whose president is Donald Trump.” Pondering the question for a while, Vonn said, “Well, I hope to represent the people of the United States, not the President.”

“I take the Olympics very seriously, and what they mean, and what they represent. What walking under our flag means in the opening ceremonies. And you know I want to represent our country well,” the skier continued.

READ MORE- “So Much Negativity”- Lindsey Vonn Opened Up on Strained Relationship With Her Father

When the interviewer asked if Vonn would accept the invitation to the White House following the Winter Olympics, she responded with a resounding, “Absolutely not.”

Soon, the Olympian found the comment sections of her social media accounts flooded with hate comments. Following this, Vonn made a lengthy post on Instagram to clarify what she meant during the interview. In the post, she mentioned the disturbing nature of some of the comments. She even recollected one comment where the user was “hoping I break my neck.”

Another follow-up interview from the venue of PyeongChang Olympics

People would still not let her off the hook. The online trolls and supporters of the former president kept at their cyberbullying tactics. During this time, the athlete received immense hate.

It reached a point where the athlete decided to do another interview from the venue of the 2018 Olympic Games to elucidate the matter. Indicating the ordeals of the previous months, Vonn said, “I don’t think I was expecting that much hate that came my way. But that’s why I normally don’t talk about politics.”

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Reflecting her stance on opinions, she added, “I have mine. I don’t always vocalize it. But the opinions I do have I stand behind.”

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DIVE DEEPER- “Watching Her Not Being Able to…”- Lindsey Vonn Once Opened Up on Her Mother’s Heroic Fight Against Her Health Issues

Vonn proceeded to win a bronze in the downhill event at the PyeongChang 2018, which was her last Olympic Games. However, it was not the final meet of her career. The skier would compete in her final race at the 2019 FIS World Ski Championships in Åre, Sweden. She clinched another bronze in the downhill event at the meet.

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