Olympic Skier Lindsey Vonn Coming Out of Retirement at 40
Lindsey Vonn is gearing up for a comeback run on the slopes.
The Olympic gold medal winner plans to rejoin the United States ski team, months after she underwent successful knee surgery and more than five years after she announced her retirement.
"Well, it’s off to Colorado…." the 40-year-old wrote on Instagram Nov. 14, alongside a video of herself making her way down a ski slope. "I hope the @usskiteam uniform still fits #onedayatatime."
Vonn explained the reason behind her decision to return to the sport. "Obviously, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t hope to be racing," she told The New York Times in an interview published the same day. "I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don’t know."
The athlete continued, “But I’m not going to put myself in a position to fail. My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions."
Vonn underwent right-knee replacement surgery in April and resumed skiing around the start of the summer, pain-free, the New York Times reported. Since August, she has privately logged 15 days of on-snow race training in Europe and New Zealand and plans to participate in the U.S. ski team's training sessions at Copper Mountain in Colorado, which begin Nov. 16.
The Rise: My Story author is also not ruling out a fifth Olympic run to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina and I’ve had a lot of success in Cortina," said Vonn, who has won 12 World Cup races in the area. "I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half hold for me. So I can’t say right now if it’s a possibility."
At this point, Vonn added, she's not chasing anything or trying to prove anything to anyone.
"With what I’ve done in my career, I’m thankful I can be in this position," she said. "I don’t have any pressure. It’s just me and the mountain like it was in the beginning.”
U.S. Ski & Snowboard said the presence of the three-time Olympic medalist, who has also won a total of 20 World Cup titles since 2004, "will bring an extra layer of experience to the already successful alpine program."
"Lindsey has made an indelible mark on alpine skiing and our organization throughout her career. We’re delighted to welcome her back," U.S. Ski & Snowboard said President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt said in a statement. "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."
As we await the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, look back at every candid moment from the 2024 Olympics…
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