Olympic champion refuses to let injury stop her
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn suffered a ruptured ACL during a recent Alpine Ski World Cup crash in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. However, she announced Tuesday that she still plans to compete at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games. Vonn said she refuses to let this opportunity “slip through my fingers.”
Training sessions for the women’s downhill event are scheduled Thursday through Saturday, leading up to Sunday’s gold-medal run. Vonn promised she will be in the starting gate despite the injury.
“I know my chances aren’t the same as before the crash,” Vonn told reporters, “but as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”
Details of the crash and recovery
Vonn lost control coming out of a jump and collided with a safety net, favoring her left leg afterward. She was airlifted to a hospital for evaluation. Since then, swelling has gone down, and Vonn reported no pain.
She said her immediate focus is the downhill event and that she is taking recovery “day by day.” Vonn did not commit to racing in the super-G scheduled for February 12, noting she will decide once she tests her knee at full speed.
A decorated career and inspiring comeback
Vonn retired in February 2019 after a career filled with injuries but announced her comeback in November 2024. At 41, she last competed in the Olympics in 2018, winning downhill bronze in Pyeongchang. Vonn also took downhill gold and super-G bronze in Vancouver 2010.
At retirement, she held 82 World Cup victories, a record since surpassed by Mikaela Shiffrin. Vonn won three straight World Cups from 2008 to 2010 and another in 2012. Yet, injuries slowed her in later years, including multiple ligament tears, fractures, and a knee replacement surgery in April 2024.
Her comeback had been strong before the crash. Entering the Swiss race, Vonn ranked first in the women’s downhill, leading second-place Emma Aicher by 144 points.
Honoring her coach and legacy
Vonn’s longtime coach and mentor, Erich Sailer, passed away last year at 99. She believes he would support her decision to compete. “He would say, ‘It’s only 90 seconds. What’s 90 seconds in a lifetime? It’s nothing, you can do it,’” she said, recalling her 2010 downhill gold run of 1:44.19.
Vonn remains determined to give her best effort at what is likely her final Winter Olympics.
