As the gates prepare to drop on the women’s FIS Alpine World Cup speed opener, Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American icon, lit up the press room at the Kempinski Hotel on Thursday with a message of unyielding confidence and transformation. Flanked by her new head coach Aksel Lund Svindal, the four-time overall World Cup champion declared herself “in possibly the best shape I’ve ever been in,” packing on 12 pounds of muscle this offseason to fuel what she hopes will be a triumphant final push toward the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics.
Vonn, who stunned the ski world last season by returning to the circuit after nearly six years away and snagging a silver in super-G at the Sun Valley Finals – the oldest women’s podium in World Cup history – arrived in the Engadin Valley radiating renewed vigor. “That podium in Sun Valley gave me the validation I needed. I knew the speed was still there,” she said, her voice steady amid a flurry of flashing cameras.c5b42e With two downhills looming Friday and Saturday, followed by a super-G Sunday, Vonn wasted no time in training, topping Wednesday’s opening session by 0.59 seconds over Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie and 0.71 ahead of Italy’s Sofia Goggia – a blistering statement on the 2.3-km Corviglia course.
A Body Rebuilt, a Mind Unbroken
The heart of Vonn’s revelations centered on her offseason overhaul. After a 2024-25 campaign marred by inconsistency – where she tested “20 to 30 pairs” of boots before dusting off an old favorite from her basement – Vonn targeted raw power. “I was thinner than I would have liked last season. I didn’t really have any time to prepare, so I didn’t have time to get my mass back,” she admitted. Enter a summer of relentless strength training: now 12 pounds heavier and leaner in her core, Vonn feels “more powerful than I have in years. “My goal was to get a lot stronger this summer,” she added, crediting the gains for her dialed-in setup and surging confidence.
At her side was Svindal, the Norwegian legend and two-time overall winner who joined her team in a move that sent ripples through the sport. “When Lindsey called and asked for help with something I know so well, it was hard to say no,” Svindal shared, emphasizing their urgent collaboration. “We had no time to lose… Lindsey was very convincing that this was a job that I could do better than most people.” The duo’s chemistry was palpable, with Svindal praising Vonn’s often-overlooked tactical edge: “Her strengths are misunderstood – she’s not just speed; it’s precision under pressure.”
Vonn’s return isn’t without hurdles. Injuries sidelined her for years, including a devastating knee reconstruction in 2013, but her record – 43 downhill wins, 28 super-G triumphs, and 82 total World Cup victories (third all-time) – speaks to resilience. Now, with the Cortina Games just two months away, these St. Moritz races are pivotal for Olympic seeding. “I wouldn’t even try this if it wasn’t in Cortina,” Vonn quipped earlier, hinting at her medal ambitions without spelling them out. “You could probably guess what I’m aiming for… Everyone knows how competitive I am.
Rivals on Notice, American Dream Alive
Adding intrigue, Mikaela Shiffrin – Vonn’s U.S. rival with 104 World Cup wins – is rumored for Sunday’s super-G, her first speed outing since 2023. “We’ll see,” Shiffrin teased, setting up a potential all-American showdown. As RTL 102.5 noted, Vonn remains “sempre temibilissima,” especially with Goggia gunning for gold.
