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Lindsey Vonn plans Olympics comeback despite ACL injury
Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn discusses her plan to compete in the Winter Olympics despite rupturing 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 and American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn continued to defy the odds Friday when she completed her first women’s downhill training run just a week after she tore her ACL in a World Cup race.
Vonn, wearing the No. 10 bib and a brace on her left knee, successfully completed her run on a day when fog delayed skiers waiting for their turn at the famed Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
She did not appear to have any limitations during the training run, although she occasionally veered off course and almost missed some gates. Vonn made it down the 1.6-mile track in 1:40.33 and crossed the all-important finish line.
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Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on Feb. 6, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Eric Bolte/Imagn Images)
The 41-year-old champion skier, who holds a record of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina, including six in the downhill, looked aggressive in her first training session.
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An ACL tear typically sidelines an athlete for about a year, but Vonn remains determined to manage the injury and compete. She detailed the severity Friday, writing on X that the critical knee ligament was “100% gone.”
Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women’s downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre Feb. 6, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Michael Madrid/Imagn Images)
“My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday. Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible. And yes, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone,” Vonn wrote.
Vonn disclosed the injury a day after posting a video of herself squatting with a barbell in the gym. She underwent a partial right knee replacement in 2024, underscoring a long history of knee issues.
Lindsey Vonn of the United States in the finish area during women’s downhill training at the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre Feb. 6, 2026, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Leonhard Foeger/Reuters via Imagn Images)
Vonn celebrated with Team USA teammate Breezy Johnson after Friday’s training run but declined interviews. Asked if she was “all good?” she replied simply, “Yup.”
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The women’s alpine downhill begins Sunday with Vonn expected to be at the starting gate.
“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’s still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, I will try,” she told reporters Tuesday at Cortina Curling Stadium.
Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this report.
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