Lindsey Vonn plans Olympic comeback despite ACL injury
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn discusses her plan to compete at the Winter Olympics despite tearing her ACL. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rick Lehman assesses her chances and the risks involved, noting her mental toughness.
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Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn was back in training just days after she “completely ruptured” her ACL in a crash, a setback that came just a week before the American skiing star was due to make her Winter Games comeback in Milan Cortina.
In a video posted on her social media Thursday, Vonn performed a series of exercises including squats, box jumps and side lunges. She was wearing a knee brace on her left leg as a result of the numerous injuries she sustained after crashing during a World Cup race in Switzerland on Saturday.
Lindsey Vonn holds her left knee after crashing during the women’s World Cup downhill race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on January 30, 2026. (Jean-Christophe Bott/Keystone via AP)
“I’m not giving up,” she captioned an Instagram post. “I’m working as hard as I can to make it happen!”
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“Thank you to my team and everyone for your incredible support,” she continued. “Keep believing.”
Vonn revealed the extent of her injuries on Tuesday but said she will continue with her goal of competing in her first event on Sunday, the women’s downhill.
“I completely tore my ACL. I also have bone bruising, which is a common injury when you tear your ACL, plus meniscus damage, which we’re not sure if it was pre-existing or from the crash,” she told reporters during a news conference.
“We’ve been in extensive therapy, consulted doctors, been to the gym and today I’ve been skiing. And considering how my knee feels, my knee feels stable, I feel strong, my knee isn’t swollen and with the help of a knee brace I’m confident I can compete on Sunday.”
Lindsey Vonn attends a press conference with the ski team at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The event took place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy on February 3, 2026. (AP Photo/Fatima Shbair)
LINDSEY WON TO COMPETE IN WINTER OLYMPIC DAYS AFTER SUFFERING ‘COMPLETELY BROKEN’ ACL IN WC CRASH
Vonn’s head coach, Chris Knight, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he is “pretty confident” Vonn will be able to pull this off. She must participate in at least one practice run in order to compete in Sunday’s competition.
“I have no doubt in my mind that this is going to be OK,” Knight added. “She’s been doing box jumps, she’s trying everything, loads and stress and stuff like that just to see where she’s at and see how she’s doing and she’s pulled well from everything.”
Vonn, 41, made a stunning comeback to the sport last year after nearly six years away from competition. Her return followed a partial titanium replacement inserted into her right knee, which she had done in 2024.
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women’s Downhill on Prampero Slope at Monte Lussari. The event took place in Tarvisio, Italy on January 17, 2026. (Mattia Ozbot/Getty Images)
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“In downhill, it’s a very dangerous sport and anything can happen. And because I push the limits, I crash,” Vonn said Tuesday. “I’ve been injured more times than I want to admit to myself, but those are the cards I’ve been dealt in my life. And I’m going to play my cards the best I can.”
Vonn is scheduled for her first Olympic event in the women’s downhill on Sunday. She is also slated to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event.
