American skiing great Lindsey Vonn has a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee but said Tuesday she intends to race in the women’s downhill race Sunday at the Milano Cortina Olympics.
It will be the fifth Winter Olympics for the 41-year-old Vonn. She suffered the injury on Friday when she crashed in a World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and was airlifted to a hospital.
“I completely ruptured my ACL. I also have bone bruising, which is a common injury,” she told reporters in a news conference in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, site of the Alpine ski competition.
“We have been doing extensive therapy, been consulting with doctors, been in the gym, and today, I went skiing, and considering how my knee feels, it feels stable. I feel strong.”
Vonn said she is determined to leave that starting gate at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Center.
“I know [what] my chances were before the crash, and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today, but I know there is still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”
To take part in the Sunday downhill, all skiers must complete at least one official training run. Vonn is no stranger to the mountain. She has 12 of her 84 World Cup victories there, the most of any skier.
Vonn also had been slated to compete for the U.S. Ski Team in the team combined (Feb. 10) and Super-G events (Feb. 12).
Vonn earned gold (downhill) and bronze (Super-G) medals at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and a bronze medal in the downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
Vonn retired after the 2019 world championships due to injuries. She subsequently received a partial replacement of her right knee and launched a comeback late in 2024 with the Olympics in her sights.
She has won the downhill twice this winter and leads the World Cup standings in the discipline and was considered a favorite to win the gold medal in the event in Italy.
–Field Level Media
