Vonn has been on a historic comeback attempt for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
How old is Lindsey Vonn? Inside USA skiing legend's comeback since last Olympics in 2018 originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Whe Lindsey Vonn retired after the 2019 World Championships in Sweden, her resume was already stacked.
She had already made comebacks from major injuries, won a then-record of 82 World Cup races, claimed three Olympic medals, including one gold, become one of six women to have won World Cup races in all five disciplines of alpine skiing, and claimed plenty more prestigious honors as one of the most decorated skiers ever.
But Vonn, in late 2024, decided she was not yet done. Despite her injury history and age, she made a return to competitive skiing. And by the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics, it was confirmed that Vonn would be participating — even after a ruptured ACL just weeks prior to the event.
Vonn's journey has been rocky, from major knee injuries to prestigious awards and Olympic honors. Here's a breakdown of her unreal comeback since the 2018 Winter Olympics.
MORE:Lindsey Vonn's full injury history
How old is Lindsey Vonn?
Lindsey Vonn is 41 years old. She will turn 42 on Oct. 18, 2026.
Vonn has already claimed a few age-related honors in her profession of skiing; in the 2019 World Championships, by earning a bronze medal in women's downhill at age 34, she became the oldest woman to win a medal at a world championship.
In December 2025, around a year into her significant comeback, she became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner at the age of 41.
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How many times has Lindsey Vonn torn her ACL?
Vonn has dealt with multiple major knee injuries, including two fully torn ACLs and one partially torn ACL.
While she had a low-level ACL sprain to her right knee in 2007, Vonn's first significant setback came in 2013. At the 2013 World Championships in Austria, she crashed and was airlifted to a hospital, then diagnosed with a torn ACL and MCL in her right knee, plus a tibial plateau fracture.
Then, in November 2014, she re-injured her right knee, straining it and partially tearing her right ACL after another crash. Still, Vonn returned to competition just weeks later. In the following January, she announced that she would not compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics because she had re-injured her right knee.
After her retirement, Vonn had a knee replacement surgery to help stop the pain that led her to leave skiiing. That led to her 2024 comeback.
However, once again in January 2026, she faced a setback when she confirmed she had ruptured her ACL in the World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, being airlifted off the course in the final downhill before the Winter Olympics.
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Lindsey Vonn's last Olympics
Vonn's last Winter Olympics appearance, prior to 2026, was in 2018. It marked her fourth Olympic appearance, having also competed in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
While at the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea, Vonn tied for 6th in women's super-G and won the bronze medal in women's downhill, her third all-time Olympic medal.
It was in the aftermath of the 2018 Olympics, a few months later, that Vonn signaled she would soon retire from competition, regardless of whether or not she broke Ingemar Stenmark's all-time record for World Cup race wins — something she had suggested she was striving for. Vonn noted her physical condition and wanting to preserve it with her many injuries, which also included a fracture of the humerus bone of her right arm in 2016.
Ultimately, it wasn't until after the 2019 World Championships in Sweden that Vonn stepped away from competitive skiing, as a knee injury that didn't require surgery delayed her retirement until then. She won a bronze medal in women's downhill at her then-last World Championships, becoming the first female racer to receive medals at six different world championships.
In 2026, Vonn is set to participate in her first Winter Olympics in eight years.
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Lindsey Vonn's comeback timeline
Here's a breakdown of Lindsey Vonn's full comeback, ever since her initial retirement following the 2019 World Championships.
Feb. 10, 2019: Vonn receives bronze medal in final World Championships before retirement
In what was supposed to be the final competition of her career, Vonn earned a bronze medal in women's downhill at the 2019 World Championships in Sweden. Per The Straits Times, she clocked at 1 minute and 2.23 seconds in her run, then saying she was "worried that I'd charge too hard and not make it down for my last race."
Prior to that season, Vonn had admitted that her "body is broken beyond repair" and she faced likely knee reconstruction surgery, per the Straits Times.
Vonn had an HBO documentary about her final season, "Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season." In the years following her retirement, she hosted a season of the canine reality competition series, "The Pack."
January 2023: Vonn becomes first woman to ski the Streif
In early 2023, a retired Vonn became the first woman to ever ski down the Streif downhill in Kitzbühel, Austria, famously "treacherous" and "immortalized by the 2014 film 'Streif: One Hell of a Ride,'" per Outside.
Although it was in a non-competitive manner, Vonn also did the run at night.
“Only when you ski the Streif are you a real downhiller,” Vonn said, per Outside. “The Streif is the pinnacle of all downhills, the most difficult course in the world. Nobody believed I could do it. After all my injuries, to now get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to kick out of the starting gate here and fulfill my dream is incredible.
I’ve always had respect for the men that raced down the Streif, but I have even more respect now because it’s one thing to go down it and another thing to ski to win; and now I can fully understand what that means. It has given me a greater perspective on how truly amazing these men are.”
Vonn later shared on Instagram that she took the challenge on for her late mother, Linda.
Nov. 14, 2024: Vonn announces she's coming out of retirement
After five years of retirement from competitive skiing, Vonn announced in November 2024 that she'd be coming out of retirement, noting that a successful knee replacement surgery earlier in 2024 had helped rid her of the pain that led to her 2019 decision.
Vonn said her return wasn't always planned, as the surgery led to the decision. She said that when she returned to skiing after the surgery, she "had a smile so wide it was coming through the back of my helmet," per NBC News.
"I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through,” Vonn said, per NBC News. “Obviously, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t hope to be racing. I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don’t know."
Vonn, 40 at the time of her un-retirement, joined the U.S. team once again. In a statement, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Organization said Vonn had been training and testing her knee in the months after surgery.
“Lindsey has made an indelible mark on alpine skiing and our organization throughout her career. We’re delighted to welcome her back,” President and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard Sophie Goldschmidt said in the 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."
Dec. 7, 2024: Vonn makes return in downhill race at FIS Fall Festival
Weeks after announcing her return, Vonn was on the slopes at Copper Mountain, Colorado to participate in the FIS Fall Festival.
She finished 24th out of 45 skiers in her first of two downhill races, then finished the second race in 27th.
“Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again,” Vonn wrote on social media at the time, per the Guardian. “While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me.
“I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove. This is only the beginning and the way I’m skiing is more important than the times at this point.“
Dec. 21, 2024: Vonn returns to the World Cup
In St. Moritz, Switzerland, Vonn made her return to the World Cup in December 2024. She finished 14th in the Super-G.
"I felt really good, there's definitely a lot I have left to give," Vonn said afterwards, per Olympics.com. "I really wanted to get to the finish today and be solid. I didn't want to risk too much, today was not the day to do anything special.
"It was nice to feel the nerves again and to be in the start again but tomorrow will be better because now I'm used to it and I think the first one is the hardest because you just have to jump in, you have to dive in."
Jan. 11, 2025: First downhill World Cup race since retirement
Vonn's ramp-up back into professional skiing continued into 2025, as she had her first downhill race that January. She finished in sixth place in St. Anton, which was 0.58 seconds behind the winner, Federica Brignone.
The next day, Vonn also got fourth place in the Super-G. Later in the month, she said she had sustained minor injuries while training, but also said she was prepared to continue competing in the World Cup until the 2026 Winter Olympics.
March 23, 2025: Vonn gets first World Cup podium of comeback
As her comeback continued to level up, Vonn had the first podium of her return at the World Cup in March 2025.
She came in second in the super-G at the season finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.
"I know for next year that I belong on the podium. I know I belong on the podium right now," Vonn said at the time, per BBC. "I never doubted myself."
"Age is just a number, if you feel good and you're mentally still driven and work hard you can achieve anything you set your mind to."
Dec. 12, 2025: Vonn claims first World Cup win since retirement
Vonn was back at an elite level by the end of 2025 — in December, she became the oldest skiing downhill World Cup winner ever while at St. Moritz in Switzerland.
It marked the 83rd World Cup win of her career and her first since March 2018.
"The win means so much to me. I knew in the summer I was on the right path, and all the hard work has paid off," Vonn said after the race, per The Guardian. "I thought I might retire after the last race of the Olympics, because I didn't think I'd be competitive for a title, but I might need to change my approach."
Dec. 23, 2025: Vonn confirmed to qualify for 2026 Winter Olympics
Things had been trending toward Vonn qualifying for the Milan Olympics, but that was confirmed in December 2025.
She shared the news on Instagram, writing that it would officially be her fifth and final Olympics.
"When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me. Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate," Vonn wrote. "No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won. I am grateful for how the season has gone so far, but I am just getting started."
Feb. 3, 2026: Vonn confirmed torn ACL before Olympics, plans to compete anyway
Yet another unfortunate injury came for Vonn just days before the 2026 Winter Olympics were set to begin. On Jan. 30, 2026, she was airlifted off a course in Crans-Montana for the World Cup downhill, the one one before the Olympics, after a crash.
Days later, Vonn announced that she had ruptured her ACL — but also said she planned to compete at the Olympics despite the injury.
Skiing star Lindsey Vonn tore her ACL last week and is still planning on competing in the Winter Games 💪 pic.twitter.com/1lSFwid4QF
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) February 4, 2026
"This is obviously not what I hoped for. I have been working really hard to come into these Games in a much different position," Vonn said, per BBC. "I know what my chances were before the crash and I know that my chances aren't the same as it stands now, but I know there is still a chance. As long as there is a chance, I'll try. That's where I am."
“I’m gonna do it.” - Lindsey Vonn pic.twitter.com/5q66NfKTsE
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 3, 2026
MORE:Lindsey Vonn airlifted from course ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics
Oldest Olympic skiers to win a medal
The oldest person to win an Olympic medal in alpine skiing is Johan Clarey, who won a silver medal for France in the men's downhill at age 41 in the 2022 Winter Olympics. He surpassed a mark held by the United States' Bode Miller, who claimed bronze at age 36 in the 2014 Winter Olympics.
The oldest Olympic skier to win a gold medal, per Guinness World Records, was Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal in 2018, who won the men's downhill at age 35.
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Category: General Sports
