Lindsey Vonn to come out of retirement at 40 following successful knee surgery

Lindsey Vonn has announced her return from retirement to rejoin the U.S. Ski Team, revealing her intention to compete again at the age of 40, six years after her last Olympic appearance.

Vonn is a distinguished three-time Olympic medalist, having secured a gold in downhill and a bronze in super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games, as well as a bronze in downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. Additionally, she is a four-time overall World Cup champion and has earned eight medals at the World Championships.

Her record of 82 World Cup race victories stood as the benchmark for female skiers until it was surpassed in January 2023 by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin, who remains active and has achieved 97 wins, the highest in the history of Alpine skiing.

Prior to breaking Vonn’s record, Shiffrin remarked, “I don’t know if I could fill Lindsey’s shoes, the way that she has worn them.”

Vonn's last competitive event took place in February 2019, following a lengthy battle with numerous injuries throughout her career, including broken bones, torn ligaments, and concussions.

In April, after several years away from the World Cup circuit, she underwent surgery for a partial knee replacement.

According to U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Vonn has been training in recent months. “Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey,” she stated, expressing her desire to “continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women” on the American team.

Vonn is officially back with the team, although it remains unclear which specific races she will target. The first downhill event, her specialty, in the current World Cup season is scheduled to take place at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in December.

Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, expressed enthusiasm for Vonn's return, stating that her “dedication and passion towards Alpine skiing is inspiring, and we’re excited to have her back on snow and see where she can go from here.”

The upcoming Winter Olympics are scheduled to take place in Italy in February 2026. It remains uncertain whether Vonn intends to compete; however, the women's Alpine skiing events will occur in Cortina d'Ampezzo, where she has achieved a remarkable record of 12 victories.

Vonn may take advantage of the International Ski and Snowboard Federation's recently introduced wild-card rule, which permits former champions to secure favorable starting positions in races upon their return from retirement, without the necessity of accumulating ranking points in lower-tier competitions.

Marcel Hirscher, an eight-time overall World Cup champion, has already utilized this new rule, making his comeback after a five-year hiatus.