Lindsey Vonn Eyes Olympic Return Despite Severe Knee Injury
The legendary American skier Lindsey Vonn has declared her intention to compete at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, despite suffering a significant knee injury just days ago. The 41-year-old champion tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in a crash during a World Cup downhill event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, last Friday.
Vonn's Determination and Medical Assessment
Vonn described the damage to her left knee as a "completely ruptured" ACL, accompanied by bone bruising and meniscal damage. Remarkably, after only three days of intensive physical therapy and following medical advice, she attempted skiing on Tuesday. Observers noted she showed no visible limping as she attended a news conference, where she expressed strong optimism about her Olympic prospects.
"My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday," Vonn stated firmly. "And as long as there's a chance, I will try ... I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate." Her first scheduled race is the women's downhill two days after the Games' opening ceremony, with training set for Thursday.
A History of Overcoming Adversity
This is not unfamiliar territory for Vonn, who has endured numerous crashes and injuries throughout her illustrious career. One of her most severe incidents occurred at the 2013 world championships in Schladming, Austria, where she tore her right knee. She missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics due to subsequent injuries. More recently, before the 2019 world championships, she competed with significant damage, including no lateral collateral ligament and three tibial plateau fractures, yet still managed to secure a bronze medal in downhill.
"I've been in this position before. I know how to handle it," Vonn reflected. "I feel a lot better now than I did in 2019 ... And I still got a medal there. So, like I said, this is not an unknown for me. I've done this before." She also famously persevered through a bruised shin treated with topfen cheese to win gold in downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Support from Peers and Medical Experts
Teammate Bella Wright praised Vonn's mental fortitude, saying, "If anyone can do it, it's Lindsey." CBS writer Matt Norlander described her determination as "as admirable as it is insane," while veteran journalist Christine Brennan called it "the most Lindsey Vonn thing that Lindsey Vonn has ever done."
Medical perspectives support the possibility of competing with such injuries. Andrea Panzeri, chief physician for the Italian Winter Sports Federation, noted that numerous elite athletes have performed at the highest level with torn ACLs and other severe knee issues. Fellow downhiller Sofia Goggia, for instance, won a silver medal at the 2022 Olympics just weeks after spraining her knee, partially tearing her ACL, and suffering a minor fibula fracture.
Vonn's Stunning Comeback Season
Vonn's resilience is further highlighted by her recent performances. After a nearly six-year retirement, she made a stunning comeback last season, skiing with a partial titanium implant in her right knee. This season, she has been the circuit's leading downhiller, with two victories and three other podium finishes in five races. Including super-G events, she completed eight World Cup races, finishing on the podium in seven of them, with her worst result being fourth.
At Cortina, where the women's skiing events will be held, Vonn holds the World Cup record with twelve wins. Her Olympic medal tally includes gold in downhill and bronze in super-G from 2010, plus a bronze in downhill from 2018. Reflecting on the potential of competing in Milan Cortina, Vonn added, "This would be the best comeback I've done so far. Definitely the most dramatic."
