Lindsey Vonn, 42, Wins 84th World Cup After Comeback

Lindsey Vonn is proving that comebacks can be even better than the original run.

The 42-year-old American skier captured her 84th World Cup victory on January 10th in Austria, flying down the mountain in just 66.24 seconds. She beat Norway's Kaisa Vikkula Lee by more than a third of a second, a massive margin in a sport where hundredths matter.

What makes this win extraordinary isn't just the number. Vonn retired in 2019 after knee injuries ended what seemed like a legendary career.

But in November 2024, she came back. And she hasn't just returned to compete. She's winning against athletes half her age.

Earlier this month, Vonn also took gold at a World Cup downhill in Switzerland. This season alone, she's earned five World Cup medals: two golds, one silver, and two bronze.

Every time she steps on the podium, Vonn breaks her own record as the oldest World Cup medalist in alpine skiing history. She's rewritten that record five times just this season.

"I know exactly what it takes to win," Vonn said after her Austrian victory. "Today, I had to take some risks and give it my all."

Her connection to the sport runs deep. Vonn's grandfather is a Korean War veteran, and she served as the only foreign ambassador for the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, where she won bronze in downhill.

Next month, she'll compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. If she medals there, she'll become the oldest alpine skier to win an Olympic medal, surpassing France's Yoann Clair, who took silver at age 41 in Beijing 2022.

Why This Inspires

Vonn's story reminds us that endings don't have to be permanent. She walked away from skiing when her body said stop, took the time she needed, and came back stronger.

Her success isn't about denying age or injury. It's about understanding her body, leveraging decades of experience, and refusing to let others define what's possible.

Young athletes are learning from someone who has been there before. Older athletes are seeing what perseverance looks like.

At 42, Vonn isn't just competing. She's winning, and she's showing a generation that your best chapters might still be ahead of you.