Lindsey Vonn and Maria Riesch
At one time Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, and Maria Riesch of Germany, were the closest of friends on the ski circuit but the pair's relationship has turned sour in the wake of Riesch ending Vonn's stranglehold on the World Cup title.
"I stopped talking to Maria after the first leg of the slalom at Spindleruv (Czech Republic on March 11-12)," Vonn, who had won the title the three previous seasons, wrote on her Facebook page on Saturday.
"She had given a series of negative interviews about me and has since continued to talk in a negative fashion about me.
"I am very hurt by her actions and I honestly don't know where our friendship stands at this point."
Vonn did not attend Riesch's wedding on April 14, justifying her no-show by claiming both she and her husband Thomas had not been made to feel welcome.
After returning from their honeymoon, Riesch's new husband Marcus Hoefl hit back at Vonn's allegations.
"We have discussed whether one should react to this at all," Hoefl told Munich newspaper TZ.
"Now, it's just getting ridiculous. But on the other hand, Lindsey is lying again and we can't just leave that unchallenged.
"She is trying to make out the whole thing is a cat-fight and that Maria is a bitch. She (Riesch) is just getting caught up more and more in their lies."
Hoefl insists Riesch has never said anything negative about Vonn.
"They should substantiate what they are saying," said the German. "They can't, because it is simply not true.
"Lindsey says she personally congratulated Maria (after winning her title), which is not true.
"To date, neither she, nor her representatives, have ever done that."
Hoefl questioned whether the pair, both 26, had even been genuine friends.
"The question is, was this ever a real friendship or was it just Lindsey was okay about things as long as she was ahead of Maria?," he asked.
"In any case, what she has done has become ridiculous."
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