Lindsey Vonn, 40, Announces Return to Competitive Skiing

Three-time Olympic skiing medallist Lindsey Vonn is set to return to competitive skiing, over five years after her initial retirement. Vonn secured a bronze medal in her final World Championship race in 2019. The 40-year-old American athlete, who initially retired in February 2019, has declared her competitive return following successful knee surgery in April. During an interview with the BBC in July, Vonn stated that retirement proved to be “harder than I expected it to be” and that “nothing can fill the hole of ski racing”. Vonn’s Olympic achievements include a downhill gold medal at the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, where she also earned a bronze in the Super-G. She later secured another downhill bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018. Her career began with a World Cup debut at age 16 in 2000. She accumulated 20 World Cup titles, which include four overall Crystal Globes, and eight World Championship medals, alongside 137 World Cup podium finishes and 82 World Cup victories. However, her career was marked by persistent injuries, leading her to miss portions of multiple seasons, notably almost the entirety of the 2013 and 2014 Olympic season. “Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey,” Vonn stated. She indicated a potential aim to secure a spot on the US team for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, adding, “I am looking forward to being back with the team and to continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women.”