US ski star Lindsey Vonn stuns in Olympic training run one week after ACL tear

Olympic golden medalist and American skis prima Lindsey Vonn continued to defy the likelihood connected Friday erstwhile she completed her archetypal grooming league successful the women’s alpine skiing downhill conscionable a week aft she wholly tore her ACL successful a World Cup race. 

Vonn, wearing the No. 10 bib and a brace connected her near knee, successfully completed her tally connected a time erstwhile fog delayed skiers waiting for their crook astatine the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. 

Lindsey Vonn concentrates up of an alpine skiing women’s downhill authoritative grooming astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, connected Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)

The 41-year-old champion skier, who holds a grounds of 12 World Cup wins successful Cortina, including six successful the downhill, looked assertive successful her archetypal grooming session. She narrowly cleared 1 of the gates, but aft crossing the decorativeness line, she celebrated with Team USA teammate Breezy Johnson. 

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"Nothing makes maine happier! No 1 would person believed I would beryllium here," Vonn wrote successful an Instagram station Friday earlier her run. "But I made it!! I’m here, I’m smiling and nary substance what, I cognize however fortunate I am. I’m not going to discarded this chance. Let’s spell get it!!"

Her authoritative grooming tally was completed successful 1:40.33. Through 15 competitors, Vonn finished her tally successful ninth place, little than a 2nd disconnected the pb skier. 

Vonn sustained galore injuries aft crashing during a World Cup contention successful Switzerland connected Saturday. 

Lindsey Vonn, right, and Breezy Johnson basal successful the decorativeness country during an alpine skiing women’s downhill authoritative grooming astatine the 2026 Winter Olympics successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, connected Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)

LINDSEY VONN TRAINS WITH KNEE BRACE AFTER COMPLETELY RUPTURING ACL ONE WEEK BEFORE OLYMPIC RETURN

"I wholly ruptured my ACL. I besides person bony bruising, which is simply a communal wounded erstwhile you teardrop your ACL, positive meniscal damage, which we’re not definite if that was preexisting oregon from the crash," she told reporters during a quality league connected Tuesday.

Soon, Vonn was backmost connected skis and successful the grooming room. 

"I’ve got nary doubts successful my caput that this is going to beryllium OK," Vonn’s caput coach, Chris Knight, told The Associated Press connected Wednesday. "She’s been doing container jumps, she’s trying everything out, loads and stresses and things similar that to conscionable spot wherever she’s astatine and spot however she feels and she’s pulled up large from everything."

Lindsey Vonn of Team United States skis during women’s downhill grooming connected Day 0 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics astatine the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The grooming took spot successful Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, connected Feb. 6, 2026. (Julian Finney/Getty Images)

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Vonn made a stunning comeback to the athletics past twelvemonth aft astir six years distant from competition. Her instrumentality followed a partial titanium replacement inserted successful her close knee, which she had done successful 2024.

She is scheduled for her archetypal Olympic lawsuit successful the women’s downhill connected Sunday. She is besides slated to vie successful the super-G and the caller squad combined event.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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