Lindsey Vonn Racing Olympics Despite Torn ACL at 41

At 41 years old and with a completely torn ACL, Lindsey Vonn pushed out of the Olympic start gate Friday and showed the world she's not done yet.

The American ski legend tore her ACL just days before the 2026 Olympics began in Cortina, Italy. Despite the injury that would sideline most athletes, she completed her first training run and posted the 11th-best time of the day, skiing smoothly through most of the challenging downhill course.

"I know there's still a chance, and as long as there's a chance, I will try," Vonn said after announcing she would compete despite the torn ligament. Her coach Aksel Lund Svindal watched her second training run Saturday, where she improved her time by more than two seconds and showed equal strength in both legs.

This isn't Vonn's first time facing down injury at the Olympics. She's been airlifted from mountains, skied with damaged cartilage, and pushed through pain that would end most careers. In 2010, she won gold in the downhill despite what she called the most painful injury of her life.

Vonn retired at 34 in 2019 after her body finally said no. She'd racked up 82 World Cup wins, more downhill victories than any skier in history, and became the only American woman to win Olympic gold in the downhill. But retirement came on her body's terms, not her own.

After years away exploring new passions and building a life beyond skiing, Vonn came back this season stronger and pain-free. She won the first downhill race of the year. She was ready to end her career the way she wanted, until the crash that tore her ACL threatened everything.

Why This Inspires

Vonn chose Cortina for her final stand deliberately. This Italian mountain hosted her first World Cup podium finish when she was a teenager in 2004. Her 12 World Cup wins here represent more victories at a single venue than any other skier has achieved anywhere.

"If it had been anywhere else, I would probably say it's not worth it," Vonn explained. "But for me, there's something special about Cortina that always pulls me back, and it's pulled me back one last time."

Her return isn't about adding to her record books or proving anything to critics. It's about showing up in the start gate and trying, about claiming the ending she deserves after a career defined by both spectacular success and relentless resilience.

Vonn races Sunday in the Olympic downhill, ready to close her comeback story on her own terms.