World Cup and Olympic ski racing champion Lindsey Vonn retired from competitive ski racing in 2019 following a remarkable and highly decorated career. Her long list of racing accomplishments include four World Cup overall championships in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012, making her the third most decorated female World Cup skier in history. Vonn won the Olympic gold medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics – the first for an American woman.
She added eight World Cup season titles in downhill, five titles in super-G, and three consecutive titles in the combined. In 2016, she won her 20th World Cup crystal globe title. Lindsey’s 82 World Cup victories stood as a women's record until January 2023, when it was surpassed by American Mikaela Shiffrin.
With her Olympic gold and bronze medals, two World Championship gold medals, three silver medals, and four overall World Cup titles, Vonn remains among the most accomplished ski racers in history. The 2011 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award winner began to slow due to relentless injuries beginning in 2013 and ultimately retired from racing in 2019. However, the skiing world recently learned that the great Lindsey Vonn may make a comeback and has returned to the U.S. Ski Team in hopes of adding to her impressive record while thrilling fans throughout the world.
Bill Pennington recently wrote an Article in the New York Times detailing the future-plans of the elite champion, which could include a return to the World Cup circuit and the 2026 Olympic Games. Vonn endured right-knee replacement surgery seven months ago and has returned to skiing – pain free. “I had a smile so wide it was coming through the back of my helmet,” Following the procedure, Vonn could straighten her right leg fully for the first time in a decade, which alleviated pain throughout her body. This positive result laid the groundwork for a return to skiing.
“Everything felt so different,” Vonn said. She then headed to the slopes with some former coaches and sponsors and the plan began to take shape. “I had been able to get stronger by then and could really start pushing my knee, and all that went really well,” Vonn said. “I was doing 15 runs. I haven’t done 15 runs in one day since my mid-20s.” Now 40, fit and void of pain, Vonn rejoined the U.S. Ski Team last week after logging on-snow training in Europe and New Zealand since last August. Vonn now finds herself in the familiar setting at the team’s training sessions at Copper Mountain in Colorado where she will begin her comeback in super-G and downhill.
“I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through. Obviously, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t hope to be racing. I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don’t know. But I’m not going to put myself in a position to fail. My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions,” Vonn said.
It would be amazing to see Lindsey Vonn in red, white and blue at the 2026 Winter Olympics. The Alpine races at the games will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where Vonn has enjoyed considerable success having won 12 World Cup races at the venue from 2008 to 2018. “I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina and I’ve had a lot of success in Cortina. I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half hold for me. But I think everyone knows how much I love Cortina,” she said.
Vonn returns a U.S. National Team far different team than the one she first joined 22 years ago. Mikaela Shiffrin, who eclipsed Vonn’s World Cup records in 2023 and has won the most alpine races in history, now leads the team formerly led by Vonn. Vonn respects Shiffrin’s accomplishments and admires what she brings to the sport. “I think it’s amazing what she’s done for the sport and I’m really excited to be her teammate again,” Vonn said of Shiffrin. Vonn appears well positioned to take on the rigors and dangers of ski racing again. “I’m not someone who is afraid. No one is immune to the dangers of downhill skiing, but I love it, and that’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Vonn concluded.
John Waechter reached the summit of Mt. Everest (29,029 ft.) on May 25th, 2001. With the ascent of Mt. Everest, he successfully completed climbing the highest peak on each of the world’s seven continents, becoming the 58th person to conquer the Seven Summits. John continues to climb and enjoys other outdoor pursuits including road and gravel biking, running, and hiking. He covers climbing expeditions throughout the world, as well as other extreme adventures. John is the co-author of ‘Conquering The Seven Summits of Sales, published by HarperCollins. This book explores business sales practices and peak performance, while weaving in climbing metaphors and experiences. John graduated from Whitman College and received an MBA from the University of Washington. John serves on the Board of Directors at Seattle Bank, and SHWorldwide, LLC.
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