Lindsey Vonn left ski racing behind in 2019 as a three-time Olympic medalist. It wasn’t until the fall of 2024 that she announced her return to the sport.
Vonn revealed in November that her surgically-repaired knee felt good enough for her to return to competition. The 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships was the last professional race she attended prior to this announcement. Although she thought that was it for her career, she had two procedures on her right leg that completely changed her outlook.
“Everything felt so different,” Vonn told Sports Illustrated. “When I got the surgery, I just felt so good. No more pain. All the things that had been bothering me for so many years were suddenly gone.”
For those keeping score at home, Vonn suffered torn ligaments in her right knee, multiple fractures in that same leg, and a severe arm fracture during her career. And yet, most of her pain went away thanks to a procedure known as robot-assisted replacement.
Vonn, who has 20 World Cup titles, quickly realized she could return to ski racing. She compared her IQ on the slopes to Tom Brady’s processing on the football field.
“Age is not an indication these days of whether an athlete can be successful or not. The biggest question is, do they have the skill? Do they have the knowledge? Brady was the smartest quarterback in history. That knowledge has value. And, in ski racing, it’s similar,” she explained. “I have been racing for a lot longer than a lot of [my competitors] have been alive. I have a lot more knowledge. And that is meaningful. I have the ability to put those things together and do exactly what Tom did.”
Earlier this week, Vonn showed off her progress with a gym selfie on Instagram.
Vonn, 40, was sporting a black tank top with matching leggings. The majority of her fans had kind things to say about her physique.
Vonn has always been considered one of the best athletes of her generation. She’s one of six women to win World Cup races in the downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and combined.
Only time will tell if there are more championships in Vonn’s future.
Regardless, Vonn will go down as one of the all-time greats in her sport.