Lindsey Vonn hoping to make sensational comeback at Winter Olympics women's downhill

Lindsey Vonn speaking to the media ahead of Winter Olympics
Lindsey Vonn speaking to the media ahead of Winter OlympicsReuters / Leonhard Foeger

Lindsey Vonn said she will try and race Sunday's women's downhill at the Milano Cortina Olympics despite suffering a serious knee injury in what ​could yet be the comeback of her career.

The 41-year-old US Alpine ski great told a news conference she had ‌ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament when she crashed in a ‌women's World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, last Friday.

"I also have bone bruising, which is a common injury on the entire ACL, plus meniscal damage which we're not sure if ⁠that was pre-existing or from a crash," she explained.

"But we ‌have been doing extensive therapy and been consulting with doctors, been ​in the gym, and today I went skiing. And considering how my knee feels, it feels stable, I feel strong."

The first official training session for the downhill starts on Thursday on Cortina d'Ampezzo's Olimpia delle Tofane piste.

Until ‌Crans-Montana, a race that was cancelled after her crash due to the weather conditions, Vonn had stood on every downhill podium in a standout season following her 2024 comeback.

Winner ⁠of two races, with one second place and two thirds, the age and injury-defying American had made an Olympic comeback in Cortina - the favourite Italian resort where she had excelled in the past -- her main target.

"My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday," continued Vonn.

"This is not, obviously, what I had hoped for. I've been working really hard ⁠to come into these Games in a much different ‌position.

"I know what my chances were before the crash, and I know my chances aren't the same as it stands today, but I know there's still a chance. And as long as there's a ⁠chance, I will try. So, that's where I ​am."

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