Lindsey Vonn Trains Days After ACL Rupture Before Olympics

Most athletes would be on crutches after completely rupturing their ACL, but Lindsey Vonn was doing box jumps in the gym. The Olympic gold medalist posted workout videos Thursday showing her training with a knee brace, just five days after a devastating crash in Switzerland that could have ended her stunning comeback.

Vonn revealed Tuesday that she suffered a complete ACL rupture, bone bruising, and meniscal damage when she crashed during a World Cup race on Saturday. The timing couldn't have been worse: her first Olympic event is scheduled for Sunday in Milan Cortina, just one week after the injury.

"I'm not giving up," Vonn wrote on Instagram alongside videos of her performing squats, box jumps, and side lunges. "Working as hard as I can to make it happen!"

The 41-year-old told reporters her knee feels stable and strong despite the severity of the injuries. She went skiing Tuesday and plans to compete in Sunday's women's downhill with help from a knee brace, confident she can handle the demands of one of skiing's most dangerous events.

Vonn's head coach Chris Knight told The Associated Press he has "no doubts" she'll pull this off. She's already returned to the slopes for training runs and showed no swelling or instability after testing her knee under stress.

Why This Inspires

This isn't Vonn's first battle with injury or her first comeback. She already stunned the sports world by returning to competitive skiing last year after nearly six years away, following a partial titanium knee replacement in 2024.

Her willingness to push through pain and setbacks speaks to something deeper than athletic achievement. Vonn knows downhill skiing is dangerous and accepts the risks as part of pursuing what she loves.

"In downhill, it's a very dangerous sport and anything can happen," she said. "Those are the cards I've been dealt in my life, and I'm going to play my cards the best that I can."

Beyond Sunday's downhill, Vonn is also scheduled to compete in the super-G and the new team combined event. Her journey shows that comebacks don't have to be perfect or easy to be worth attempting.

After decades of injuries and surgeries, Vonn is still choosing to show up and compete at the highest level of her sport.