After five years away from competitive skiing, Olympic medalist and four-time World Champion Lindsey Vonn is gearing up for a return. Her unexpected comeback was revealed in The New York Times, with Vonn sharing the details of her journey back to the slopes.
Since her retirement in 2018, Vonn faced persistent challenges with her right knee, which had undergone multiple surgeries during her career. The pain from her injuries lingered even after she stopped skiing, making it difficult for her to walk and prompting her to step away from the sport. However, a transformative knee replacement surgery earlier this year has allowed Vonn to enjoy pain-free movement for the first time in years. Incredibly, just one month post-surgery, she could fully straighten her right leg—something she hadn’t been able to do in a decade. Shortly after, she was back to training, engaging in strengthening exercises she hadn’t been capable of in eight years.
Vonn’s return started casually but quickly escalated. Feeling unexpectedly strong on her skis, she reached out to her former coach, and together they headed to New Zealand to train. “I had been able to get stronger by then and could really start pushing my knee, and all that went really well,” Vonn said, recalling how she managed an impressive 15 runs in one day, a feat she hadn’t attempted since her mid-20s.
Now, she’s training with the U.S. Ski and Snowboard team in Colorado, where she is carefully managing her expectations while savoring the experience of being back on the snow. “I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through,” Vonn told The New York Times. “Obviously, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t hope to be racing. I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don’t know.” Vonn also emphasized that her main goal is to enjoy the process, with the possibility of competing in World Cup races in mind.
As for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics, which are just 15 months away, Vonn remains uncertain but is clearly excited about the prospect. “I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina, and I’ve had a lot of success in Cortina,” she said. While she hasn’t committed, her excitement is palpable. “I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half hold for me. So I can’t say right now if it’s a possibility,” she admitted before pausing and adding, “But I think everyone knows how much I love Cortina.”
Lindsey Vonn may be cautious about her chances, but if she finds herself at the top of a course in Cortina, ready to race, fans and rivals alike should be prepared for her to make a serious comeback.