For Lindsey Vonn, the hardest part of a comeback is often the first step back onto the course. On Friday in Cortina, she took that step — and made it all the way to the bottom.
The American skiing star completed her first training run since rupturing the ACL in her left knee, finishing a 100-second descent without incident and flashing a smile at the finish line. The run marked a critical milestone in her effort to remain a medal contender despite suffering the injury just one week earlier.
Vonn was hurt during a World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, after losing control off a jump while setting up for a right-hand turn. The crash immediately raised questions about whether her season — and her remarkable comeback — might be over. Instead, seven days later, she was back on skis.
Importantly, the injury is not to the same knee that required multiple surgeries earlier in her career and ultimately led her to retire in 2019. That distinction, combined with what she described as rapid progress through intensive treatment, has fueled her confidence.
“I’ve had extensive therapy,” Vonn said this week. “Considering how my knee feels, I feel stable, I feel strong. My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday.”
Friday’s training run in Cortina was delayed by more than an hour because of low visibility, stretching an already tense wait. When Vonn finally pushed out of the start gate, the goal was simple: get down safely. By doing that, she checked a major box in what has become a race against both time and her own body.
Before last Friday’s crash, Vonn’s comeback had been defined by something almost unthinkable given her injury history — durability. After years of setbacks earlier in her career, she had stayed remarkably healthy, even notching two World Cup victories last month. Those wins transformed her from an inspirational return story into a legitimate medal threat, especially in Cortina, a course she has long called her favorite.
The injury has undeniably changed the calculus. Vonn acknowledged as much, but she has not abandoned belief.
“I know what my chances were before the crash, and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today,” she said. “But I know there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”
That belief is rooted in experience. Vonn said her knee currently feels better than it did during previous injury recoveries, including the 2019 World Championships, when she still managed to win a medal despite significant physical limitations.
At 41, Vonn is no stranger to pain, risk, or doubt. What Friday’s run proved is that she’s also no stranger to defying expectations. With a brace on her knee and momentum back on her side, her comeback remains alive — not because it’s easy, but because she refuses to stop when there’s still a way forward.
