Lindsey Vonn talks about her career and returning to the Olympics
USA TODAY’s Nancy Armor interviews Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn to talk about her return to Milan-Cortina and her career.
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Lindsey Vonn fell during the final downhill run before the Milan-Cortina Olympics, injuring her left knee just one week before the Winter Olympics began.
Vonn lost her balance on a jump on the second section of the course in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on Friday, January 30, and struggled to regain her balance, but fell while traveling at high speed, spinning in the snow and crashing into a safety net at the side of the course.
Vonn was able to stand up and ski the rest of the course. However, her left knee was clearly in pain and she shook her head repeatedly when she saw her US teammate Jackie Wiles in the goal area.
Vonn gave a small wave to the fans when she crossed the finish line, but shook her head repeatedly as fellow American Jackie Wiles approached. She put her head on Wiles’ shoulder and the two hugged before Vonn went into a tent in the finish area for treatment.
Vonn was airlifted from the racetrack, which is common at mountain venues, but the U.S. Ski Team said on social media that Vonn was being “evaluated.”
“She’s feeling a little bit of pain so she should get tested,” double Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal, who joined Vonn’s coaching team this season, told Reuters. “The physical therapist ran some tests and everything seemed fine, but there were some things I wasn’t 100% sure about, so I’m glad I got tested (at the hospital).”
Vonn had expressed concerns about the race, citing bad weather and a history of crashes at Crans-Montana last fall. Vonn currently leads the downhill standings and is sixth overall in the race, although she said at the time that she would consider skipping it if she didn’t need the points.
“We’re going to approach the World Cup very strategically, especially in Crans-Montana,” Vonn said at the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Media Summit in late October. “It’s been difficult so far with the weather, snow conditions and especially injuries, so that’s probably the biggest concern I have for Crans-Montana.”
“So if I have to go into that race, I will, but I will be very strategic about how I approach it.”
The hosting of the women’s alpine race in Cortina was a factor in Vonn’s decision to return after undergoing partial knee replacement surgery in April 2024. Cortina is one of Bon’s favorite places. She reached the World Cup podium for the first time in 2004, and 12 of her 84 World Cup wins have come here.
However, the accident cast doubt on Vonn’s ability to compete at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. The opening ceremony will be held in one week, and the women’s downhill will be held in two days.
Visibility was poor at Crans-Montana, and two of the five skiers who started before Vonn did not complete the race. After Bong crashed, she remained on the hill for several minutes until safety personnel arrived. She was able to stand up, but clearly prioritized her left knee as she used a pole to steady herself. Bon bent his left knee a few times and shook his head slightly.
Vonn put her skis back on, made a few easy turns and resumed skiing, but it was clear that her left knee was hurting. She slowly made her way down the hill as her team and U.S. teammates looked on anxiously. She skied down the steepest part of the slope, then eased down the bottom of the course.
The race was stopped shortly after Bon reached the bottom of the hill.
Vonn’s return has been amazing and the 41-year-old is poised to be one of the stars of the Milan-Cortina Olympics.
The 2010 Olympic downhill champion retired in 2019 due to the physical strain of repeated injuries. When she underwent partial right knee replacement surgery in April 2024, she hoped to be able to live a normal life without pain.
However, as he felt very well during his recovery, he decided to return and returned to the World Cup circuit in December 2024. Vonn had a disappointing season last year, but ended the season with a silver medal in the super-G at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.
But with the off-season spent training and fine-tuning his equipment, Vonn maintains a commanding advantage. She won two downhill races, including the season opener, and has been on the podium in every downhill race. She also had top-three finishes in two of her first three super-G races.
