Lindsey Vonn has achieved another milestone in her comeback. And it’s a big one.
Vonn has officially qualified for the Milano Cortina Olympics, U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced Tuesday. Vonn met the results-based criteria after being on the podium in four of her first five races this season, including a win in the downhill in St. Moritz, Switzerland, that was her first World Cup victory since 2018.
It will be the fifth Olympics for the 41-year-old, who won gold in the downhill at the 2010 Games in Vancouver.
‘I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics!’ Vonn said in a post on Instagram.
‘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,’ Vonn wrote. ‘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. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won.’
Vonn is a three-time Olympic medalist – she also has a bronze from the downhill at the Pyeongchang Olympics in 2018 and a bronze in super-G in Vancouver – and a four-time overall World Cup winner. But a series of injuries took their toll, and she was forced to retire in 2019.
After a partial knee replacement in the spring of 2024, however, Vonn felt so good she decided to try skiing again. When she felt good doing that, she decided to try ski racing again, wanting to end her career on her own terms.
The Olympics being in Cortina was also a draw. She made her first World Cup podium in Cortina. She’s gotten 12 of her 83 World Cup wins there, including a January 2015 victory in super-G that gave her what was then the women’s record.
‘Cortina has always been a place that’s been so special to me,’ Vonn said. ‘I just have a lot of amazing memories, so it wasn’t really a leap for me to say I want to come back and compete in these Olympics.’
And she will certainly be a medal contender, likely gold, in both downhill and super-G.
Vonn’s first season was one of mixed results, though it ended with her winning silver in the super-G at the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. But with a full offseason to train and fine-tune her equipment, she’s been nothing short of spectacular this year.
She won the downhill in St. Moritz, the first speed race of the season, and followed it with a bronze in the downhill the following day. She won bronzes in the downhill and super-G this past weekend in Val d’Isere, France.
The only time Vonn hasn’t been on the podium was the super-G in St. Moritz, and she was fourth there, missing the podium by just 0.08 seconds.
She leads the season downhill standings, and is fifth in the overall.
‘In general, I’m really happy with my skiing. I have another podium and I still have the red (leader’s) bib, so there’s a lot to be happy about,’ Vonn said after the downhill in Val d’Isere. ‘I’m just looking to improve myself every day, every race. I know I can be better.’