CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn faced another setback during her recent comeback to ski racing, as she fell while competing in a World Cup super-G on Sunday. This incident marked the second fall for Vonn within just four days, although she came away from the accident with only minor injuries.
The fall occurred on her left hip as she approached a gate midway through the course, which is set to host the skiing events at the upcoming Milan-Cortina Olympics next year. Following the tumble, Vonn slid down the slope and came to a halt far from the safety netting surrounding the area. However, she quickly regained her footing and made her way down to the finish line, where she waved to the cheering crowd.
Reflecting on the incident, Vonn stated, “I got a little bit behind the course and tried to pull it off. My skis kind of clicked together and I lost my balance.” Earlier in the week, she also had a close call during downhill training but managed to avoid injury.
The super-G race was won by local favorite Federica Brignone, with Swiss Olympic champions Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter finishing in second and third place, respectively. Vonn, who holds the remarkable record of 12 victories in Cortina, made a return to the competitive skiing scene last month, equipped with a new titanium knee after taking nearly six years off from the sport.
Vonn has expressed intentions to retire after next year’s Olympics when the women’s events will take place in Cortina and the men’s will be hosted in Bormio. In her previous races last weekend in St. Anton, Austria, she achieved commendable finishes of sixth and fourth in the downhill and super-G events. However, in Saturday’s downhill race in Cortina, a mistake late in her run resulted in a disappointing 20th place.
During her most recent super-G, Vonn recorded the fifth fastest time through the second of three checkpoints before losing control. The race took place under challenging flat light and overcast conditions, with ten skiers failing to finish. An optimistic Vonn remarked, “I was skiing really well. In general, this weekend was really positive but I couldn’t quite put it together. It’s going to take a little time. Last weekend went so well that everyone’s expectations were really high. But this is a journey that no one’s taken before. So I’m trying to be patient.”
Vonn reiterated her need for more training and time, adding that not succeeding this weekend could stoke her desire for future competitions. “It leaves me really hungry for more and also hopefully for next year,” she noted. This race also marked her 400th World Cup appearance, a significant milestone in her long career that began nearly 25 years ago, in November 2000.
Vonn is determined to set her sights on Renate Goetschl’s women’s record of 409 races and said, “I should hit that. Another record. Yeah!” Next weekend, Vonn plans to compete in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, followed by the world championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria, next month.
