American alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn remains determined to compete at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, declaring herself “confident” in racing the women’s downhill on Sunday despite suffering a completely ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee just days ago.
The 41-year-old three-time Olympic medalist revealed Tuesday that the injury—sustained during a high-speed crash in a World Cup downhill event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on January 30—included a full ACL tear, bone bruising, and meniscal damage. After the incident, which sent her into safety nets and required hospital evaluation, Vonn underwent three days of intensive physical therapy.
Undeterred, she returned to the slopes Tuesday, testing her knee with a supportive brace. “My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday,” Vonn said during a press conference in Cortina, the host venue for women’s alpine events.
Vonn acknowledged the setback has altered her outlook but refused to abandon her pursuit. “This is not obviously what I had hoped for. I know what my chances were before the crash and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today, but I know there’s still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, I will try. I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate.”
The injury comes amid a remarkable resurgence for Vonn, who returned to competitive skiing last season at age 40 after a nearly six-year hiatus. Despite a partial titanium implant in her right knee from prior surgeries, she has dominated the World Cup downhill circuit this year, securing two victories and three additional podium finishes in five races. Across downhill and super-G events, she has stood on the podium in seven of eight starts.
Teammate Bella Wright expressed strong belief in Vonn’s resilience. “If anyone can do it, it’s Lindsey,” Wright said, highlighting her teammate’s exceptional mental toughness forged through a career marked by repeated injuries and comebacks.
Vonn, who holds the World Cup record with 12 victories in Cortina, aims to add to her Olympic legacy: gold in downhill and bronze in super-G from Vancouver 2010, plus bronze in downhill from PyeongChang 2018. She had also planned to race super-G and the new team combined event.
Women’s downhill training begins Thursday, with the Olympic opening ceremony set for Friday, February 6, kicking off the Games running through February 22.
Vonn described this potential performance as “the best comeback I’ve done so far… definitely the most dramatic,” underscoring her unyielding drive as one of skiing’s all-time greats prepares for what could be her final Olympic chapter.
