London, May 14 (agencies): The power couple of sports is a rehab unit all its own. Lindsey Vonn and Tiger Woods, however, can take heart in knowing they have each other to lean on during the arduous process.
Vonn was working her way back from a second right knee operation that kept her from skiing at the Sochi Olympics. Woods was recovering from surgery to relieve pain from a pinched nerve in his back that caused him to miss the Masters. ''Rehab is not a fun thing to do - it's very monotonous and tedious and a lot of the same exercises over and over and over,'' Vonn said by phone from Florida.
''But if you're going through rehab, it's nice to have a partner to do this with... someone who relates to your situation and that you can talk to, rehab and train together.'' The one thing that's off limits? Treating this as a race or tournament.
''We have to keep our competitiveness at bay because it's not about that,'' Vonn said. ''It's about doing it right and taking the time it needs to really heal properly.'' The four-time overall World Cup champion had her anterior cruciate ligament fixed for a second time in January, sidelining her for Sochi. There also was quite a bit of cartilage damage in the knee, meaning this recovery will be even slower.
Still, things are ''right on track, if not slightly ahead,'' Vonn said. She hoped to return to snow on October 1, most likely in Europe. If all wents well, she could be racing two months later in Lake Louise, Alberta. ''I'm in a good place,'' she said. When times get tough, though, she has Woods - and vice versa. In a recent posting on his website, Woods said: ''It does help to rehab with Lindsey, but her programs are much further along than mine. That does help when you're not the only one suffering.''
