Lindsey Vonn, the American alpine skiing icon whose record-breaking career seemed firmly in the rearview mirror, is defying expectations and the calendar in pursuit of one final, audacious chapter: a return to the Olympic stage at age 41. Five years after her emotional retirement in 2019, Vonn has reemerged as a competitive force on the World Cup circuit, her sights set squarely on the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games. What began as a personal challenge has evolved into an inspiring narrative of resilience, innovation, and a refusal to let age define limits—though not without its share of skeptics and setbacks.
Vonn’s journey back to the slopes is as much a story of physical reinvention as it is mental fortitude. In 2024, the 2010 Olympic downhill gold medalist underwent a partial right knee replacement, a procedure that addressed a decade of chronic pain and instability from her high-octane racing days. The surgery, she says, was transformative: within a month, she could fully extend her leg for the first time in years and resume strength training she hadn’t touched in nearly a decade. “I’m physically in such a better place,” Vonn told ESPN in May. “I feel so good—it makes me a lot happier. My life is just really good right now.” By November of that year, she announced her comeback, launching a meticulously planned return that has seen her test equipment, refine techniques, and visualize victory on the very courses that once crowned her the queen of speed events.
Her first World Cup race back in December 2024 at St. Moritz, Switzerland, was a statement of intent. Nearly six years removed from competition, Vonn clocked a 14th-place finish in the super-G—respectable, but a harbinger of greater things. She followed with strong showings in St. Anton, Austria, and a crash-landing (literally) during training in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where she slid into a fence but emerged unscathed. The Italian resort holds a special allure for Vonn; it’s the site of her first World Cup podium in 2004 and a staggering 12 victories over her career, including the one that shattered the women’s all-time wins record in 2016. “Cortina is probably my favorite course in the entire world,” she shared with Olympics.com earlier this year. “It’s where I really figured out how to be competitive in speed events.”
The 2024-25 season served as a proving ground, not a victory lap. Vonn wrapped it with a poignant podium finish—second place at the World Cup Finals—ending a 2,565-day podium drought and ranking 19th in downhill and 13th in super-G standings. Far from chasing accolades for their own sake, she treated the year as a laboratory: tweaking skis and boots across diverse snow conditions, logging physio sessions, and even drifting to sleep by mentally mapping the Olympia delle Tofane downhill course that will host the women’s events in 2026. “This comeback wasn’t about chasing numbers,” Vonn reflected in a Ski Racing Magazine interview. “It was about seeing what was possible.” With just two weeks’ rest before resuming in Europe, she’s framing the next 15 months as a multi-phase campaign: rebuild now, contend later.
Yet Vonn’s resurrection hasn’t been met with universal applause. Critics have questioned the wisdom of her pursuit, suggesting it stems from an “unfulfilling life” or borders on recklessness at an age when most peers have long hung up their helmets. In a candid TIME interview this week, Vonn dismissed the naysayers with characteristic fire, flipping the bird skyward during a Southern California hike as a symbol of her unapologetic resolve. “I am not a long shot,” she insisted. “I am back in the game.” Her response underscores a broader mission: to shatter stereotypes about aging athletes, particularly women. “This is about changing perspectives and setting a new standard for what it means to be older and an athlete,” she wrote in an op-ed for The Athletic. The Milano-Cortina Games, with their projected 47% female participation—the highest in Winter Olympics history—align perfectly with that vision, offering a platform to inspire the next generation.
Bolstering her bid is an unlikely alliance with fellow Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, the Norwegian downhill legend who retired in 2019 after his own injury-plagued career. Svindal, a frequent training partner during Vonn’s prime, joined her team this summer to consult on equipment and tactics. “She is one of the greatest skiers of all time, and I’m impressed by her determination,” he said in an Olympics.com announcement. Vonn calls it a “huge boost,” crediting his insights for sharpening her edge as the season opener looms in Soelden, Austria, on October 25-26.
At 40 during her comeback launch—and turning 41 by the February 6-22 Games—Vonn would eclipse the oldest female alpine medalist record she set herself in PyeongChang 2018. Securing a U.S. team spot won’t be automatic; it’s merit-based on international results in the preceding year. But with 82 World Cup wins (third all-time among alpiners) and three Olympic medals already in her trophy case, her experience could prove invaluable on a Cortina track she knows intimately. “I will definitely be the oldest, but also the most experienced on that track,” she told Olympics.com post-podium. Climate concerns over snow scarcity in the Dolomites? Vonn brushes them off, focusing instead on the joy of the pursuit.
As the snow begins to fall and the countdown to Cortina ticks inexorably toward zero, Vonn’s story transcends sport. It’s a testament to the “impossible” becoming inevitable when driven by passion rather than pressure. “When I retired, the number one thing I was sad about was that I couldn’t race Cortina at the Olympics,” she admitted to NBC Sports. Now, with the finish line in sight, she’s not just racing the clock—she’s rewriting it. Whether she stands atop the podium or simply crosses the line, Vonn’s encore ensures her legacy endures as fiercely as her spirit.
