Lindsey Vonn plans to return to the Olympics despite ACL injury
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn talks about her plan to compete in the Winter Olympics despite tearing her ACL. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rick Lehman evaluates your chances and the risks involved, highlighting your mental toughness.
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Olympic gold medalist and American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn She continued to defy the odds on Friday when she completed her first women’s downhill training race just a week after tearing her ACL in a World Cup race.
Vonn, wearing bib number 10 and a brace on her left knee, successfully completed her race on a day when fog delayed skiers waiting their turn at the famed Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
He didn’t seem to have any limitations during the training run, although he occasionally veered off course and almost jumped some gates. Vonn covered the 1.6-mile track in 1:40.33 and crossed the all-important finish line.
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Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center on February 6, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Eric Bolte/Image Images)
The 41-year-old champion skier, who has a record 12 World Cup wins in Cortina, including six downhill, was aggressive in her first training session.
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A torn ACL typically sidelines an athlete for about a year, but Vonn remains determined to manage the injury and compete. She detailed the severity on Friday, writing in X that the critical ligament in her knee was “100% gone.”
Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center on February 6, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Michael Madrid/Image Images)
“My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday. Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible. And yes, my ACL is 100% torn. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone,” Vonn wrote.
Vonn revealed the injury a day after posting a video of herself squatting with a barbell at the gym. He underwent a partial right knee replacement in 2024, underscoring a long history of knee problems.
Lindsey Vonn of the United States in the finish area during women’s downhill training at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center on February 6, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters via Imagn Images)
Vonn celebrated with her US teammate Breezy Johnson after training on Friday, but declined interviews. She was asked if she was “all right.” She responded simply, “Yes.”
The women’s alpine downhill starts on Sunday and Vonn is expected to be at the starting gate.
“I know what my chances were before the accident, and I know my chances are not the same as they are today, but I know there’s still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, I’ll try,” he told reporters Tuesday at the Cortina Curling Stadium.
