On Thursday night, gold medal-winning downhill skier Lindsey Vonn was supposed to be in Sochi preparing to compete in the Winter Olympics. Instead, she was on the runway at New York Fashion Week.
The golden girl — who had to withdraw from the games last month after re-tearing her ACL in November — used crutches to make her way down the runway at the Go Red for Women / The Heart Truth Red Dress Collection fashion show at Lincoln Center. The star-studded annual event helps raise awareness for women’s heart health.
“I was anticipating being in Russia right now . . . I’d much rather be over there than honestly being here,” Vonn admitted to The Post as makeup artists and stylists doted on her at the tents at Lincoln Center.
But she was upbeat. “When I had surgery, then it opened the door for other opportunities,” she says. “I think [women’s heart disease] is something that deserves more attention. I’m happy to be part of the event.”
Since taking up with fidelity-challenged golfer Tiger Woods in early 2013, Vonn has been making the fashion rounds. She attended last year’s Met Ball and CFDA awards, but Thursday night was the first time she’d walked the catwalk. She wore a red frock by designer pal Cynthia Rowley.
“I’m winging it,” the 29-year-old said backstage at the show. “I’ve never [walked in a fashion show] before, and it doesn’t help my cause that I am on crutches, so I just hope that I make it down in one piece. My sister kindly played a top 10 reel of runway crashes, so that helped my confidence.”
Woods was not at the show, but in this month’s issue of Self Magazine, Vonn said her putt-sy boyfriend had been a major source of support in dealing with her devastating injury and Olympics disappointment.
“He’s helped me stay patient through rehab. Golf is all about patience — one tournament is four days long, 18 holes a day. He helped me take it one day at a time. We’re good for each other,” she told the magazine. “I don’t know what he’s learned from me, to be honest. But we push each other and help each other when we’re down.”
If all goes well, the gold medalist hopes to be walking on her own by next week.
“If I am wearing my brace, I normally can walk without the crutches, but since I don’t have my brace on the runway, I’d rather be safe than sorry,” she says. “Next week I should be good.”