Twenty-one years ago, Lindsey Vonn’s skiing career was forever changed in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It was there, at the tender age of 19, that she earned her first World Cup podium, sparking a chain reaction of success that would propel her to the pinnacle of alpine skiing. With 137 World Cup podiums, including 82 victories, Vonn’s impressive résumé is a testament to her unwavering dedication, unrelenting passion, and unbridled talent.
As Vonn prepares to return to the slopes of Cortina, the site of her maiden World Cup podium, she is filled with a mix of emotions. It’s a venue that holds a special place in her heart, a place where she discovered her true potential and developed the skills that would serve her so well throughout her illustrious career.
“In Cortina, it’s when everything clicked,” Vonn reflects on that fateful 2004 race. “Before that, my skiing had been mediocre at best. Then I just figured it out. I figured out the hill. I figured out how to prepare. I haven’t changed much of my preparation since that first podium.”
Vonn’s return to Cortina is all the more remarkable given the challenges she has faced in recent years. After announcing her retirement in 2019, she underwent a partial right knee replacement, a procedure that many thought would signal the end of her competitive skiing career. However, Vonn’s determination and resilience have once again proved her doubters wrong.
Just two months after announcing her surprise return to the U.S. Ski Team, Vonn is back in Cortina, ready to take on the best skiers in the world. Her first downhill training session in six years was not without its challenges, however. A crash near the bottom of the course left her bruised but thankfully uninjured.
“I caught a lot of air off the second-to-last jump, and when I landed my ski caught funny and caused me to lose my balance,” Vonn explains. “It wasn’t overly dramatic. I’m a little bit bruised, but I’m good.”
As Vonn looks to the future, she is aware of the challenges that lie ahead. The 2026 Winter Olympics, to be held in Cortina, are just over a year away, and the competition will be fierce. However, Vonn’s experience, skill, and determination make her a formidable opponent, and she is relishing the opportunity to compete on the world’s biggest stage once again.
In many ways, Vonn’s return to Cortina is a full-circle moment, a chance for her to reconnect with the venue that played such a significant role in launching her career. As she takes to the slopes, she will be drawing on the lessons she learned all those years ago, the lessons that helped her “figure it out” and become one of the greatest alpine skiers of all time.
