Days After Rupturing ACL, Lindsey Vonn Commits to 2026 Winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn suffered a major crash during a downhill race in Switzerland last Friday and ruptured her ACL.

Days After Rupturing ACL, Lindsey Vonn Commits to 2026 Winter Olympics

Lindsey Vonn (Image via Imago)

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They say you can’t keep a good man down, in this case, a good woman down. Just a few days after fully rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), Lindsey Vonn has committed to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy.

Vonn, who retired from Alpine skiing in 2019 due to injuries, returned to the sport in 2024. The 3-time Olympian came out of retirement with the aim of competing at the Winter Games in 2026.

Last week she was competing in Switzerland. During the women’s downhill World Cup event in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, the 41-year-old suffered a major crash.

She would slam into the safety nets just seconds into the run. The American international would have a bad landing at the Mont Lachaux course and slammed into the safety netting.

Vonn would remain down for a few minutes in the safety net before getting back to her feet. She would appear in major discomfort as she got up and skied down the finish line and clutched her left knee. She was later airlifted to a hospital.

She, however, was the third racer who crashed during this event. Austria’s Nina Ortlieb crashed in the same area as Vonn, while Norway’s Marte Monsen finished in the nets after missing the second-to-last gate. A while later, the jury would cancel the event on Friday due to low visibility and unsafe conditions.

For many athletes, a torn ACL means a season-ending injury. That will, however, not be the case with Vonn. Despite her ruptured ACL, the 84-time World Cup winner expressed that she will be competing this coming Sunday with a knee brace.

Last Friday, in Crans-Montana, in the last World Cup, I completely ruptured my ACL. I also have bone bruising, which is a common injury. My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday.

Lindsey Vonn told the reporters

Vonn later mentioned that she had undergone some “extensive therapy” since the crash and was in constant touch with her doctors. She also admitted that she did go skiing and claimed her knee felt “safe” and “strong.“

The training runs for the downhill race are scheduled on Thursday, Friday and Saturday before the run for gold on Sunday. In what could be her final Games, Vonn wants to go out as a champion and claimed she will be at the starting gate this week.

Lindsey Vonn claims she will not lose hope despite massive ACL injury

Last Friday, fans were left sad and heartbroken after Lindsey Vonn suffered a massive ACL injury just days before her 5th Olympic Games. Despite this huge setback, the alpine ski legend is confident about competing and claimed she will not lose hope.

Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn (Image via Imago)

On Tuesday, she would take to her Instagram account. In a post on the social media platform, the 41-year-old thanked people who reached out to her. She did express that she knew what her chances were at the games.

I know what my chances in these Olympics were before this crash, and even though my chances aren’t the same now, there is still a chance. As long as I have a chance, I will not lose hope. I will not give up! It’s not over yet!

Lindsey Vonn on Instagram

Vonn’s only gold medal at the Olympics came in the 2010 Games in Vancouver. She won the gold at the downhill race. She also took home the bronze medal in the Super-G race.

Her other Olympic medal came in 2018 at PyeongChang, South Korea. She won the bronze medal again as he came third in the downhill race.

She would miss the 2014 edition in Sochi, Russia, due to an injury and did not compete in the 2022 Games in Beijing, China, due to her retirement. The alpine ski racer has an uphill battle against time to get ready for her 5th Olympic Games.

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