Ski legend Lindsey Vonn of the United States expressed confidence in competing at the 2026 Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo Winter Olympics despite suffering a knee injury at a recent World Cup event.
"I've been receiving intensive treatment, exercising, and consulting with doctors. I even skied today," Vonn said at a press conference in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, on Friday. "My knee feels stable and strong."
Born in 1984, Vonn is a skiing legend who won gold in the women's downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games. After claiming bronze in the women's downhill at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, she briefly retired in 2019 before returning to competition in the 2024-2025 season to prepare for these Olympics.
However, she injured her left knee during a landing after a jump while competing at the International Ski Federation (FIS) World Cup in Switzerland on January 30.
Following the incident, some reports suggested Vonn's Olympic participation was in jeopardy, but she personally refuted those claims and expressed confidence in competing.
Regarding the extent of her injury, Vonn explained, "I have a complete ACL tear. There's also bone bruising and meniscus damage, which commonly occur with ACL tears. I'm not sure if the meniscus damage was pre-existing or caused by the impact."
"My knee isn't swollen, and I'm confident I can compete in Sunday's race (the women's downhill on February 8) with the help of a brace," she emphasized.
Vonn is scheduled to compete in the downhill, super-G, and team events at these Olympics.