Home for the Holidays has such a nice ring to it. A time to decompress and relax. A time to talk about what was, and what will be. If you happen to be Lindsey Vonn, it means hanging out with your sister, discussing a dramatic return to competitive skiing, which has a trajectory to the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.
The 41-year-old skiing legend isn’t just returning to the slopes for a participation trophy. She is returning to dominate. Heading into her holiday break, Vonn secured a gritty third-place finish in the women’s World Cup super-G in Val d’Isère, France this past weekend. It marked her second consecutive day finishing third at the event and served as her 142nd career World Cup podium.
Vonn clocked speeds touching 115 kph (71 mph). While she couldn’t quite catch the winner, Sofia Goggia, or second-place finisher Alice Robinson, her performance showcased a technical prowess that defies her time away from the sport.
A Comeback Defying Age and Injury
This holiday break in Aspen represents a crucial pause in what has been a whirlwind ten days. Since returning to the circuit, Lindsey Vonn has notched one win, four podiums, and a fourth-place finish in just five races. It is a staggering statistic for an athlete who, not long ago, described herself as physically broken.
“I’m going to go to Aspen with my sister,” Vonn said regarding her immediate plans. “Have some time off, hit the gym, recharge and then I’ll come back over here (to Europe) for training.”
Before this resurgence, Vonn had retired as the most decorated female skier in history but admitted she was managing a body battered by crashes, fractures, and ligament tears. She previously described herself as a “shell of a human being,” A partial knee replacement surgery changed the equation, eliminating her daily pain and reigniting the competitive fire that defined her career.
The results speak for themselves. Just prior to her run in France, she stunned the field in St. Moritz, Switzerland, securing her 83rd career win and her first in nearly eight years.
“Last year was really up and down and I had some pretty low points, nothing was really working. This year it’s working. I’m making mistakes and I’m still on the podium and that’s a totally different ballgame than where I was last year,” Vonn said.
Lindsey Vonn’s Historic Career Accomplishments
As Vonn looks toward the future, her resume remains the gold standard in American skiing. Her list of accolades continues to grow with every race this season.
- World Cup Dominance: Vonn has secured 83 World Cup wins, recently adding to her tally with a victory at St. Moritz.
- Podium Consistency: She boasts 142 World Cup podiums, a testament to her longevity and consistency.
- Championship Pedigree: She is a four-time overall World Cup titleholder and an Olympic Medalist.
- Cortina Specialist: She holds a record 12 career World Cup wins at Cortina, the site of the upcoming games.
Targeting the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics
The ultimate destination for this comeback is the 2026 Winter Olympics. Lindsey Vonn has partnered with Norwegian legend Aksel Lund Svindal as her coach to prepare for the games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. It is a mountain she knows intimately, having earned her very first World Cup podium there in 2004.
Critics might question the wisdom of returning at 40, but Vonn sees her experience as a tactical advantage rather than a physical liability.
She also isn’t worried about how this comeback affects her legacy. She draws parallels to other sporting greats who couldn’t stay away from the game they loved, saying that no one remembers Michael Jordan’s retirement comeback when mentioning his legacy.
For now, the focus shifts to recovery. Vonn will take a three-week hiatus to recharge with family before returning to Europe for a downhill race in Austria on Jan. 10.
