CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn found herself in the midst of an intense weekend during her comeback, experiencing a second fall within four days in the resort where she had previously thrived. Following her fall, Vonn expressed her frustration by striking the snow with her right ski pole. Remarkably, she rose to her feet and made her way down to the finish line, managing to escape serious injury once again as she evaluated a challenging weekend at the age of 40, now aided by a new titanium knee after nearly six years away from the sport.
Acknowledging the road ahead, Vonn remarked, “It’s just going to take a little bit more time. I need to be patient with myself, and I hope everyone can be patient with me as well.” She is focused on managing her expectations and is determined to improve week by week.
In a recent conversation, she revealed her intention to retire again following next year’s Olympics, where the women’s skiing events will be held in Cortina. “I need more training, and I need more time,” Vonn stated. She expressed her belief that not performing well this weekend might help fuel her desire to improve for the upcoming events.
During the World Cup super-G, Vonn had been on track for a top-five finish until she fell on her left hip while navigating a gate. Commenting on the incident, she said, “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.” Thankfully, she also managed to avoid injury during a training crash earlier in the week.
Her former coach and current advisor, Patrick Riml, described the latest fall as part of the learning process, noting the tight section that caused her to lose her footing and space. Vonn had shown promising speed earlier, clocking in as the fourth-fastest in that section before her fall.
In the super-G race, home competitor Federica Brignone took the victory, followed by Swiss Olympic champions Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter. Vonn, who holds the record for most wins in Cortina with 12, had recently returned to the circuit last month, performing solidly with finishes of sixth and fourth in a downhill and super-G in St. Anton, Austria, respectively.
However, her competition in Cortina did not go as planned. A late mistake in Saturday’s downhill run saw her finishing in 20th place. In her subsequent race, Vonn was fifth-fastest at two of the three checkpoints before she lost control amidst the difficult flat light and overcast conditions, joining a group of ten skiers who also did not finish.
Reflecting on her performance, she remarked, “I was skiing really well… Although I couldn’t quite put it together, last weekend went so well that expectations were high. This journey is unprecedented for me, so I am focusing on patience.” Her close friend Sofia Goggia, who won on Saturday, pointed out that Vonn is still getting accustomed to certain competitive situations, implying that she benefits from additional training beyond just races.
Amid her comeback journey, Vonn is also nearing a significant milestone, as the Cortina super-G marked her 400th World Cup race. Among women, she has achieved victory in 82 of those races, placing her just behind Mikaela Shiffrin, who has 99 wins. Vonn has been part of the World Cup scene for nearly 25 years, making her debut in November 2000.
Expressing her aspirations, Vonn stated, “It means that I have been here for a long time… I should hit that [women’s race record of 409]. Another record. Yeah!” Looking ahead, Vonn is set to compete next in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, followed by the world championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria next month.
