"Such a bada**" - Lindsey Vonn makes feelings known as Lauren Macuga becomes a World Championships medalist

Lindsey Vonn congratulated fellow US skier Lauren Macuga for winning the Super-G bronze at the World Championships in Saalbach. Vonn also competed in the race but faced a setback and got sidelined in her first World Championships race in years.

Lindsey Vonn, who underwent partial knee surgery in January 2024, came out of retirement to vie for more podiums at the ongoing 2024/25 Alpine Skiing World Cup. She returned to the World Cup slopes and posted strong finishes; a sixth in the downhill and a fourth in the Super-G in St. Anton. Following that, she suffered two back-to-back crashes in Cortina d'Ampezzo but left the slope without major injuries.

The 82-time World Cup winner then graced the Super-G line-up at the World Championships in Saalbach. Despite starting her race well, she hit into a gate, leaving the course with a DNF. However, she extended support to Lauren Macuga, her 22-year-old US teammate, who soared to her first World Championship bronze podium.

"So so happy for you Cougs!!! Such a bad***! @lauren-macuga," Vonn wrote on her Instagram story.

Lindsey Vonn shouts out to Lauren Macuga; Instagram - @lindseyvonn

In a post-race interview, Vonn expressed pride in Lauren Macuga as she joined the latter in the celebrations.

"I am really excited for Lauren, she skied amazing. I’m really proud of her."

When Vonn crashed in the Super-G event, everyone was left concerned. Confirming her good health, the 40-year-old said:

"I’m OK. I hit my nerve somehow and I hit the gate and lost feeling in my arm but it’s coming back slowly."

Vonn amassed two gold medals at the 2009 World Championships alongside four overall World Cup titles and an Olympic gold among other wins.

Lindsey Vonn penned a heartfelt note before taking the slope in Saalbach for the Worlds

Vonn at a press conference at the Audi Fis Alpine World Ski Championships - Previews - (Source: Getty)

Lindsey Vonn retired from alpine skiing in 2019 because of persistent injuries. She spent her retired years with her family, in different administrative roles, and even supported athletes through social media. After her comeback, Vonn highly anticipated the World Championship and even expressed her wish to compete with Mikaela Shiffrin in the combined.

Before her stint in Saalbach on February 6, Lindsey Vonn made her feelings known about her Worlds participation on Instagram, saying:

"This journey hasn’t been an easy one but it has given me a lot of joy. I’ve lived an incredible life since I retired in 2019 and I miss that life, my dogs and my family. But this adventure is short and one that I will not waste. I know I still have the ability to succeed in this sport but will all the pieces of the puzzle fit together tomorrow? I don’t know. What I do know is this; I will give it my all, I will not take it for granted and I will have fun! …And if everything doesn’t fit together tomorrow, that’s ok too. I still have 368 days to figure it out," she captioned.

In 2023, Vonn became the first woman to experience the ski course at Streif, though not competitively.