Coco Gauff, Michael Phelps, & other athletes react as Lindsey Vonn pens an emotional note after coming out of retirement and qualifying for World Cup

Coco Gauff, Michael Phelps, and other athletes reacted to Lindsey Vonn's emotional note as she made her first competitive appearance in nearly six years. The American Alpine skier competed in the FIS Fall Festival at the Copper Mountain in Colorado.

Lindsey Vonn sparked speculations among fans about her coming out of retirement after she was spotted training in New Zealand earlier this year in October. Weeks later she announced her plans to return to the slopes to compete professionally. In her first appearance, she competed in two downhill sessions. Vonn finished in the 24th position in her first race and 27th in her second race.

The former World Cup Champion expressed satisfaction with her performance and used the opportunity as a training session for upcoming races. Moreover, she officially qualified to compete in the World Cup after gaining some points by participating in the FIS Fall Festival.

Lindsey Vonn took to Instagram to express her thoughts with an emotional note.

"Well… I have officially qualified for the World Cup!! The races this weekend were so much fun and a great training opportunity. Still have some work to do but this is a great step in my progression. Being in the start with my teammates it felt like I had never stopped racing…but at the same time I have to keep everything in perspective," she wrote.

Furthermore, she recalled her journey from undergoing partial knee replacement surgery to ultimately returning to the slopes.

Coco Gauff cheered the star Alpine skier and commented:

"Let’s go❤️❤️"

Coco Gauff reacts to Lindsey Vonn's message | Instagram@lindseyvonn

Michael Phelps reacted to Vonn's post and wrote:

"Yessss!! Have fun out there!!"

Michael Phelps cheers on Vonn | Instagram @Lindseyvonn

Ana Bodgen thanked Vonn for being an inspiration and wrote:

" You go girl!! 💫 I’m so soo happy for you!! ♥️✨ always inspiring all of us!! 🙏🏼"

The United States SailGP Team member Anna Weis cheered Vonn with a one-word message.

"Hooray!!" she wrote.

Lindsey Vonn on her mindset during her comeback

Vonn Training Session - Source: Getty

Lindsey Vonn took to Instagram to share her thoughts before her first race in nearly six years. The American Alpine skier expressed that she would be taking this opportunity to get into the groove of competing and test her equipment as she aimed to compete at her full potential as the season progressed.

"Happy to be able to take another step this weekend 💃🏼! Technically tomorrow will be my first race but I’m using it as a training opportunity to keep on building. 📈 100% will come in time but not tomorrow," she wrote.

"It’s been 6 years since I last raced so I still have a lot of equipment to test, finding my groove and really getting into racing form. I am having a lot of fun and want to keep on doing so!" she added.

Furthermore, she expressed her excitement about being able to return to the slopes and embark on a new journey altogether.