Lindsey Vonn has left open a slim possibility of returning to alpine ski racing, despite undergoing eight surgeries after breaking her leg. The 41-year-old Olympic champion is listed on the 2026–27 U.S. alpine skiing team, with her participation dependent on her recovery. She is the team's oldest member by a considerable margin. Speaking at Zeta Live 2026, an event hosted by Zeta Global, Vonn discussed both the severity of her injuries and the possibility of competing again.
Vonn fractured her leg in a crash during the women's downhill at the February 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics and was evacuated by air. She also suffered an ACL tear earlier in the year. The leg injury left her using a wheelchair for nearly two months, and she described the experience as the most difficult injury of her life. Progress felt unusually elusive compared with her previous recoveries; she said it took about four months to get through the hardest period. In February, she had also revealed that her left leg might have required amputation.
The first American woman to win Olympic downhill gold, Vonn has accumulated 84 World Cup victories, four World Cup titles, three Olympic medals, and eight world championship medals. She has experienced 14 injuries since 2007. While her father, Alan Kildow, argued after the crash that her racing career should end, Vonn remains deeply attached to the sport. She said earlier injuries had strengthened her motivation to work harder and return stronger, rather than diminished her love of racing.
