Alpine skiing: At 40 years old and with an artificial knee: Vonn is making a skiing comeback

There is the next spectacular comeback in alpine ski racing: the former downhill dominator Lindsey Vonn is planning a return to the World Cup after a five-year break. The American is now 40 years old and had an artificial knee joint inserted at the beginning of the year – and yet the Olympic champion still believes she can make a comeback. If the bold plan works, she could overshadow the scene stars Marcel Hirscher and Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who have also returned.

After weeks of speculation, the US association confirmed that it was bringing the former overall World Cup winner back to its elite team. “My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that path leads me to World Cup racing,” Vonn said in an interview with the New York Times, clarifying: “I wouldn’t be back on the US ski team if I had no intentions.”

First race in December?

This weekend she will take part in training with the team again for the first time in Copper Mountain in the US state of Colorado. Most recently there were reports that Vonn wanted to start as a forerunner – i.e. outside the competition – at the Beaver Creek descent on December 14th. This test was intended to show whether participation in later races makes sense. Maybe she’ll start straight away as a racing driver in Beaver Creek.

Vonn ended her successful career in 2019, which was also marked by many injuries including repeated cruciate ligament tears. With 82 victories, she is the third most successful World Cup racer in history after her compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin (97) and the Swede Ingemar Stenmark (86). In 2010 she became Olympic downhill champion, and a year earlier she had won two World Championship gold medals. She secured the overall World Cup four times.

Pain-free thanks to an artificial knee

Vonn was always considered extremely ambitious and ruthless towards her own body. After the 2019 World Cup and winning downhill bronze, she had to resign. “My career ended with no intention of coming back,” she said.

Last February, the long-time rival and friend of the exceptional German racing driver Maria Höfl-Riesch underwent a serious operation on her right knee – this made pain-free skiing possible for her again. “I had such a big grin that it came out of the back of my helmet,” said Vonn, who had completed several days of training in New Zealand and Europe since August – at her own expense. She has already impressed some international observers and trainers.

The 2026 Olympics attracts with the beloved Cortina slope

The New York Times speculated that the extroverted athlete could set her sights on the 2026 Olympic Games in northern Italy. The women’s races will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where Vonn celebrated twelve World Cup victories. “I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half have in store for me. I don’t know if it’s possible,” she said, but after a short pause she added: “But I think everyone knows how much I love Cortina.”

Recently there have been two highly acclaimed alpine comebacks: At the start of the World Cup in Sölden, the eight-time overall World Cup winner Hirscher returned after a five-year break; the Austrian now drives for the Netherlands. Pinheiro Braathen took a year off and also changed countries: The scene star from Norway now drives for Brazil. Both will be in action at the slalom in Levi on Sunday.