As the alpine skiing events kick off at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the spotlight shines on two dominant forces: unstoppable American Mikaela Shiffrin and Swiss sensation Marco Odermatt. Yet, a shadow looms over the slopes with lingering uncertainty surrounding U.S. legend Lindsey Vonn’s participation after her shocking ACL rupture.
Vonn, 41, dropped a bombshell upon arriving in the Dolomites for her fifth Olympics: she fully tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee during a crash at last weekend’s World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. The incident, which also caused bone bruising and meniscal damage, came at the worst possible time—just days before her signature event.
Despite the severity, Vonn remains defiant. “My knee is not swollen and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete (in the downhill race) on Sunday,” she declared. “I know my chances aren’t the same… but as long as there’s a chance, I will try.” The three-time Olympic medalist, who boasts a record 12 World Cup wins on the Cortina course, underwent a partial knee replacement in her right knee in 2024 before staging a remarkable return from retirement.
Her path forward is tight. The first of three scheduled women’s downhill training runs on Thursday was canceled due to heavy snowfall, granting Vonn extra recovery time but delaying her critical on-snow assessment. She must complete at least one training session—slated for February 6 or 7—to qualify for Sunday’s medal event.
Meanwhile, Shiffrin arrives as the most decorated skier in history, male or female, with an astonishing 108 World Cup victories, including seven wins in eight slalom races this season. Her recent triumph in the Czech Republic made her the first athlete to claim more than eight crystal globes in a single discipline. The 30-year-old, who won slalom gold at Sochi 2014 and giant slalom gold at PyeongChang 2018, is determined to erase the disappointment of going medal-less in Beijing 2022. “It’s wonderful to be consistent and fast, but every time I ski, I feel like I could be flying off the course at any moment,” she said.
On the men’s side, Odermatt reigns supreme. The 28-year-old Swiss star holds a commanding lead in the overall World Cup standings, with eight victories this season across giant slalom, downhill, and super-G. Already an Olympic giant slalom champion from Beijing, he leads a powerhouse Swiss team featuring world champions Loic Meillard and Franjo von Allmen. Switzerland dominated last year’s worlds in Saalbach with five golds and 13 total medals. “The Olympic Games are always challenging—it’s just the medals that count,” Odermatt stated. “I’m already Olympic champion so that helps, but I’m going to try to take another medal.”
Italy’s home hopes rest on 2018 downhill champion Sofia Goggia and Federica Brignone, while Giovanni Franzoni and veteran Dominik Paris bolster the men’s contingent.
With heavy snow complicating preparations and Vonn’s status still a question mark, alpine skiing at these spread-out Games promises drama from the first gate to the last. Shiffrin and Odermatt enter as favorites, but Vonn’s grit could deliver one of the most unforgettable stories in Olympic history—if she reaches the start line.
