Lindsey Vonn to End Retirement, Compete with U.S. Ski Team at Age 40

Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn is launching her comeback on the slopes.

The 40-year-old confirmed to the New York Times' Bill Pennington that she's coming out of retirement and rejoining the U.S. Ski Team.

"Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey," Vonn said in a statement on the organization's site. "I am looking forward to being back with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and to continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women."

Vonn hasn't competed since the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, where she earned a bronze in the downhill. She acknowledged going into the even that it would be her last due to the physical toll of multiple injuries she had suffered.

The 2009 world champion said her body was "broken beyond repair" and "screaming at me to STOP."

Vonn told Pennington she had a knee replacement surgery this past April with the hope of simply enjoying a "pain-free" life away from skiing. Over time, she discovered she could not only go through regular movements—she was unable to even straighten her right leg before the procedure—but also work out and train with few issues.

Vonn continued pushing her physical limits until she grew confident she could ski competitively again.

The Minnesota native stopped short of setting any firm goals.

"I'm trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through," she said to Pennington. "Obviously, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't hope to be racing. I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don't know.

"But I'm not going to put myself in a position to fail. My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn't be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn't have intentions."

In addition to her gold medal in the 2010 Winter Olympics and two golds from the 2009 World Championships, Vonn won 82 World Cup races, which were a record for a female skier until Mikaela Shiffrin passed her in 2023. The vast majority of those victories came in the downhill (43) and super G (28).

It's unclear what kind of schedule Vonn will maintain in her comeback. The 2024-25 World Cup season is already underway, but the bulk of the campaign is still ahead.

Should Vonn stay healthy and perform well, it stands to reason she could compete for a spot on Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.