In the midst of her grueling recovery from a devastating Olympic crash, skiing icon Lindsey Vonn is making sure the world remembers the extraordinary achievement that defined her 2025-26 season — reclaiming the top spot in the World Cup downhill standings at 41 years old after a five-year retirement.
“What I did before the Olympics has never been done before. I was number one in the standings. No one remembers that I was winning,” Vonn said in her first major interview since the 2026 Milano Cortina Games, published by Vanity Fair.
The 41-year-old legend, who first retired in 2019, stunned the alpine world by returning to competition in late 2024 and dominating once again. She secured multiple World Cup wins and podiums, including becoming the oldest downhill winner in history, and climbed all the way to No. 1 in the downhill discipline standings heading into the Olympics.
Vonn emphasized that this comeback — leading the standings as a 41-year-old mother of two after years away from the sport — is unprecedented. “I was number one in the world, and potentially on my way to an Olympic medal,” she added. “Now I’m in a wheelchair.”
Her words come as she continues to heal from the horrific crash that ended her Olympic campaign just 13 seconds into her downhill run. The fall caused complex fractures to her left tibia and fibula, a broken right ankle, and severe compartment syndrome that required multiple surgeries and raised fears of amputation.
Vonn has been candid about the trauma, telling TODAY’s Craig Melvin she remembers every moment of the pain: “I have never been in so much pain before.” She also revealed she has no desire to watch the footage, stating, “I don’t need to relive that experience again.”
Despite the setback, she refuses to let the crash define her return. “I don’t want people to hang on this crash and be remembered for that,” Vonn said.
Her fighting spirit shines through in her ongoing recovery. She’s pushing through intense physical therapy, hyperbaric chamber sessions, and gym workouts — recently celebrating small victories like unassisted pull-ups. Her daily mantra, “Today is another great day,” inspired by her late mother’s battle with ALS, keeps her grounded, while her latest message of resilience — “No matter how hard I get knocked down I will always find a way to get back up” — continues to inspire fans.
Vonn has also left the door slightly open for the future, saying the lack of a proper “final run” still bothers her: “I never got a final run. I never got to say goodbye. Maybe I would do one more race to say goodbye.”
With 82 (now 84+) career World Cup victories and a legacy as one of the greatest downhill racers ever, Vonn’s pre-Olympic dominance at an age when most athletes have long retired stands as a remarkable feat of longevity, determination, and skill.
Fans and fellow athletes have praised her perspective, highlighting how her comeback rewrote what’s possible in elite sports.
Whether this marks the end or another chapter, Lindsey Vonn wants her story remembered for the historic highs — not just the painful fall.
“What I did before the Olympics has never been done before.”
A champion’s pride, unbreakable even in recovery.
What’s your take on Lindsey Vonn’s incredible comeback season? Should her No. 1 standings be celebrated as one of the greatest achievements in skiing history? Share below. ⛷️🏆❤️
