"No one's done this before with the knee replacement"- Lindsey Vonn weighs in on her prospects of competing in 2026 Winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn has returned to competitive skiing after staying dormant for six years and recently competed in her first official competition at the FIS Fall Festival. She opened up about the possibility of her competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Vonn, who retired in 2019 after sustaining a knee injury, recently announced her return to competitive skiing in November and then competed at the FIS Fall Festival on December 7 and 8, 2024, marking the start of her official return to the sport. She first competed in the downhill, where she finished 24th and 27th in a field of 40 racers, and then in the super-G, where she attained the 24th and 19th positions.

The American skier recently sat in an interview with Today.com on December 10, 2024, where she was asked about competing in the 2026 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Cortina, where she has won 12 world titles in 10 years. Vonn was questioned whether her records in Cortina affected her decision to return to the sport. To this, she replied:

"I mean, it didn't. It's definitely not a factor in what I'm doing now. I would say, you know, I think everyone knows how much I love Cortina. You did point out my record there. I, I have some, a couple of a couple of wins and, you know, if I can let's see what happens. But I don't want to put any expectations on it," said Lindsey Vonn.

She added:

"You know, like I said, no one's done this before with the knee replacement. I am slightly older than I was before. I think I held all the records for being the oldest World Cup winner in when I was 33 years old. So I don't know. I don't want to put any expectations, but if I could, that would be amazing."

Lindsey Vonn opened up about her comeback at 40 years of age

Lindsey Vonn opens up about comeback at 40- Source: Getty

In the aforementioned interview, Lindsey Vonn opened up about returning to the sport at 40. She said she never thought she could compete again and was surprised just like everyone else. She also added that the response to her comeback was 'incredible.

"I honestly thought it's never going to happen. I am as surprised as everyone else. I'm really enjoying this journey. No one's ever done this, so I honestly don't know how far I can take it but so far it's been incredible, the response has been incredible," Lindsey Vonn said.

She also explained how her pain suddenly vanished after the knee replacement.

"I always thought it was over. Of course, if I had the opportunity to keep skiing I would have but my injuries always held me back and I don't know when I got this surgery I felt so good. I had no more pain, things that were bothering me for so many years were suddenly gone and I thought if I feel this good, playing tennis and doing all the things I love, what about skiing?"

Lindsey Vonn is a three-time Olympian, where she clinched one gold medal in the 2010 Vancouver Games and two bronze medals in the 2010 and 2018 games.