Lindsey Vonn confident she can compete at Olympics despite ‘completely ruptured’ ACL | Lindsey Vonn
Lindsey Vonn has said she is “confident” in her ability to compete at the Milan Cortina Winter Games even as she revealed she is suffering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament, saying her return to the Olympics remains on track after a fall last week raised fresh doubts about her participation.
Speaking on Tuesday, the 41-year-old American said she was approaching the final decision with caution, but remained focused on her queue for the downhill at the Tofane Alpine Ski Center in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the women’s Olympic alpine program opens on Sunday.
“Last Friday in Crans Montana, during the last World Cup, I completely tore my ACL,” Vonn said. “I have to take it day by day. My goal right now is obviously downhill. I have to see how it goes – if it’s stable and I feel confident, I’ll keep running. That’s my goal. But I can’t give you that answer until I’ve been skiing 85 miles an hour.”
Vonn said the injury also included bone bruising and meniscal tears, although she said it was unclear how much damage was new from the crash and how much might have been prior.
This update came three days after Vonn crashed into the net during the World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, injuring her left knee – her right knee required a titanium implant less than two years ago. The fall has cast immediate uncertainty on one of the most anticipated storylines of this year’s Games.
Vonn said the days following the accident were spent doing scans, physical tests and monitoring swelling and muscle response, adding that she believes her overall physical condition remains strong.
“My fitness is 100%, but that doesn’t mean my body is 100%,” she said. “As long as my swelling goes down and my muscles are working, my strength is what it was a few days ago.
“My knee is not swollen and, with the help of a knee brace, I am confident I will be able to compete on Sunday. This is obviously not what I was hoping for. I have worked very hard to arrive at these Games in a very different position.
“I know what my chances were before the accident, and I know my chances aren’t the same as they are now, but I know there’s still a chance. And as long as there’s a chance, I’ll try. So, that’s where I’m at.”
The revelation that Vonn tore her ACL underscores how injury management defined the final phase of her career. But she said she hasn’t let the diagnosis change her mindset.
“I’m not going to let this slip through my fingers,” she said. “I’m going to do it, end of story. I’m not crying. I’ve got my head up, I’m on my feet and I’m going to do my best – and whatever the outcome, that’s what it is. But you can never say I didn’t try.”
Vonn is entered in the downhill, super-G and the new team combined event. Cortina holds particular significance for the American, who recorded a record 12 World Cup victories on the Italian course during her career.
His comeback season already ranks among the most remarkable in sports history. After nearly six years away from competition and following major knee surgery, Vonn returned to the World Cup circuit this season and immediately re-established herself among the elite, leading the World Cup downhill standings with five podiums in five races, including two victories. She also earned two more top-three finishes in super-G. Before Vonn’s return, the oldest woman to win a World Cup race was 34.
On Tuesday, she acknowledged the emotional stakes of returning to the Olympics after believing her career was over, saying the opportunity to compete again had already exceeded her expectations.
“I never thought this was possible,” said Vonn, whose three Olympic medals include gold in downhill and bronze in super-G in 2010 and bronze in downhill in 2018. “It’s icing on the cake. I don’t want to have any regrets. I’ll do everything in my power to be in that starting gate.”
Training for the Olympic downhill is planned over three sessions in Cortina later this week, with the medal race scheduled for Sunday.
