Lindsey Vonn has insisted she remains confident of competing at the Milano Cortina Winter Games next week, despite revealing she suffered a complete rupture of her anterior cruciate ligament during a crash last Friday. The 41-year-old American told reporters on Tuesday that she is taking a day-by-day approach but is determined to line up for the Olympic downhill at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Sunday.
“Last Friday in Crans Montana in the last World Cup I completely ruptured my ACL,” Vonn said. “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.” Vonn added that the injury also includes a bone bruise and meniscal tears, though it remains unclear how much damage is new and how much may have predated the crash.
Since the accident, Vonn has undergone scans and physical testing, and reports that swelling and muscle response are manageable. “My fitness is 100%, but that doesn’t mean that my body is 100%,” she said. “As long as my swelling is down and my muscles are firing, my strength is what it was a few days ago. With the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday.”
The injury is the latest in a career defined by comebacks. Vonn returned to the World Cup circuit this season after nearly six years away and major knee surgery, immediately re-establishing herself among the elite. She leads the World Cup downhill standings with five podium finishes from five races, including two wins, and has also placed in the top three in two super-G events.
Cortina holds special significance for Vonn, who has recorded a record 12 World Cup victories on the Italian course. She is entered in the downhill, super-G and the new team combined event. Training for the Olympic downhill is scheduled across three sessions later this week.
“I never thought this was possible,” said Vonn, whose three Olympic medals include downhill gold and super-G bronze in 2010 and downhill bronze in 2018. “This is all icing on the cake. I don’t want to have any regrets. I will do everything in my power to be in that starting gate.”
