America’s Alpine skiing great Lindsey Vonn is ‘confident’ to still compete at her fifth Olympic Winter Games despite fully rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
“I will make it to the starting gate,” the 41-year-old said in front of a packed room of journalists in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Tuesday.
With just four days before the women’s downhill at Cortina 2026, the skier said she is doing everything possible to compete in Sunday’s downhill following the injury in the later-cancelled Crans-Montana downhill on 30 January.
“Last Friday, in Crans-Montana, in the last World Cup, I completely ruptured my ACL. I also have bone bruising, which is a common injury,” she confirmed. “My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday,”
The first of the three women’s downhill training runs is scheduled for Thursday, and every racer is required to complete at least one. “We have been doing extensive therapy, been consulting with doctors, been in the gym, and today, I went skiing, and considering how my knee feels, it feels stable; I feel strong,” added Vonn.
The skier faces an uphill battle to get ready for the downhill, which is scheduled on Sunday at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre. “I know my chances were before the crash, and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today, but I know there is still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, I will try,” she continued.
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Following her crash, Vonn, who arrived in Cortina on Sunday, had to cope with a swollen left knee and was airlifted to the hospital in Crans-Montana for assessment. A few hours later, she posted on social media that her Olympic dream “is not over.”
She also hopes to still compete in the Super G on February 12 and the women’s team combined event on February 10. “My intention is to ski everything,” Vonn said. “That’s obviously my goal. I mean, I’ll finish the season if I can. But I don’t know, I can’t tell you that until I know I have the downhill training run and see how I feel.”
She added, “If it remains the way it is now, I feel solid.”
Vonn has had a spectacular season
Until the injury, the ‘Speed Queen’ had been enjoying a spectacular season, making the podium in seven of her eight World Cup starts and leading the downhill standings after two wins.
The Minnesota-born skier retired in early 2019 due to recurring knee issues before making a sensational return to competition in November 2024. Since last summer, she has been coached by former Norwegian star and two-time Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal.
Reflecting on the question of where this comeback chapter would sit in her career, Vonn insisted she was already proud of her efforts to return to the top of alpine skiing
“It’s already been one of the best chapters of my life so far. I think this would be the best comeback I’ve done so far, definitely the most dramatic, that’s for sure.
“But I think if you look at everything, I’ve been through in my life and in my skiing career, and in my life in general, you know, I’ve been through a lot. And this is another amazing chapter. I don’t know if it’s the best chapter, but pretty damn good comeback if I can pull it off.”
Vonn is currently third on the all-time World Cup wins list, led by Mikaela Shiffrin with 84 victories, two shy of second-placed Ingemar Stenmark.
She has competed at four Olympic Winter Games since making her debut at Salt Lake City 2002, winning three medals: gold and bronze at Vancouver 2010, and again bronze at PyeongChang 2018.
(Source: Olympics.com)
