![[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Feb 3, 2026; Cortina d'Ampezzo, ITALY; Lindsey Vonn attends a press conference at a press conference at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium in preparation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.](https://wellsquad.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/lindsey-vonn-788x444.jpg)
Lindsey Vonn has been in difficult positions before and succeeded.
Now she must do it again for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics. The 41-year-old American skier suffered a torn ACL from a crash in a World Cup days ago.
While doubts have been raised about her participation in the Olympics, Vonn is “confident” she can compete, telling the media, “I will make it to the starting gate.”
Complete ACL Rupture
Three days after Vonn crashed in the World Cup downhill competition in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, she revealed the news.
“Last Friday in Crans Montana in the last World Cup I completely ruptured my ACL. I have to take it day by day. My goal is obviously right now the downhill. I have to see how it feels – if it’s stable and I feel confident, I’ll continue to race. That is my goal. But I can’t tell you that answer until I actually ski 85 miles an hour.”
After the crash that put her in the safety nets, Lindsey Vonn skied to the bottom of the course and was brought to the hospital. Not only did she suffer a ruptured ACL, but has a bone bruise and meniscal tears.
However, it’s unclear if those injuries predated this one or were part of the most recent crash.
What is an ACL Rupture?
An ACL rupture is often a complete tear of the anterior cruciate ligament in your knee, which connects the thighbone to the shinbone. The ligament helps stabilize the knee, and if ruptured, can lead to instability, especially when twisting or pivoting.
The injury often occurs in sports like soccer, basketball, and skiing, or can occur in a non-contact way, like landing awkwardly from a jump, stopping suddenly, or sudden changes in direction.
While there are some non-surgical options to fix the ligament, reconstruction surgery is often required.
This injury is also more common in women due to differences in knee anatomy, muscle strength, and hormone levels.
Confident in Competing
Days since the crash have been filled with scans, physical therapy, monitoring swelling and muscle response, and talking to doctors. After all of that, Lindsey Vonn tried skiing on Tuesday. She didn’t seem to be limping as she entered and exited the news conference to share an update.
Vonn stated, “My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday. And as long as there’s a chance, I will try … I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate.” Lindsey Vonn is scheduled to compete in the women’s downhill, super-G, and the new team combined event.
“My intention,” she says, “is to race everything.” She continued, “My fitness is 100%, but that doesn’t mean that my body is 100%. As long as my swelling is down and my muscles are firing, my strength is what it was a few days ago. … 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. … So, that’s where I am.”
Steps to Reach Peak Condition
Vonn has consulted with many doctors and trainers to assess her condition after the fall.
“We have been doing extensive therapy, 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,” Vonn commented.
For those athletes who sustain multiple severe injuries, there is a different training regimen to get them into peak condition for Olympic events.
The training centers on building supportive muscle strength, prioritizing joint stability, endurance, and long recovery times.
Risks of Skiing with an ACL Injury
While Vonn may feel good with her knee for the Olympics, there are certain risks to skiing with an ACL injury.
Since the knee no longer has the stabilization from the ACL, it can lead to irreversible or compounding knee injuries, like damage to the meniscus or MCL.
Allowing the knee to rub bone on bone can also create persistent instability, chronic pain, or, in some cases, early-onset osteoarthritis.
Lindsey Vonn’s History of Injuries
Vonn is no stranger to competing or dealing with injuries. One of her worst injuries was in the 2013 World Championships in Schladming, Austria. Vonn tore her right knee and was out for the rest of the season. She returned in 2014, but got hurt again and missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
All the way back in 2019, she dealt with another injury, though she took bronze in the World Championships that year before a six-year retirement.
When looking at her past, Vonn said, “I’ve been in this position before. I know how to handle it. I feel a lot better now than I did in 2019 … And I still got a medal there with no LCL and three tibial plateau fractures. So, like I said, this is not an unknown for me. I’ve done this before.”
You could even go back to 2010, and Vonn was dealing with an injury, that time being a bruised shin, she treated with topfen cheese before winning gold in the 2010 Olympic Games.
“I don’t need topfen now. My knee isn’t swollen.”
She finished with the comment, “This would be the best comeback I’ve done so far. Definitely the most dramatic.”