The lead-up to the Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy, is heating up — especially for ski fans. Lindsey Vonn, 41, just scored a major win for the first time since announcing her comeback tour last fall.
In the snowy Alps of St. Moritz, Switzerland, Vonn edged out Austria’s Magdalena Egger by nearly a full second. The win was Vonn’s first victory since 2018, and her 83rd win overall. The victory is also notable for another reason: It marks Vonn as the oldest alpine World Cup winner in history. The previous record holder was Didier Cuche, who won a super-G in 2012 at 37 years old, according to U.S. Ski and Snowboard.
“I’m trying to enjoy every single moment because this is my last weekend racing in St. Moritz ever in my life,” Vonn said after the race. “I’m not racing anymore after this year, so I’m trying to enjoy it, but it couldn’t go any better than this. This is amazing. I’m so happy.”
The American ski icon has her sights set on February’s Winter Olympics, where she hopes to take home her fourth medal overall, and her second gold since winning in Vancouver in 2010. Watch her medal-winning run below.
Training for a Comeback
Vonn’s athletic record speaks for itself. Throughout her career, she has won an Olympic gold medal, two bronze medals, and 20 World Cup titles, securing a spot on the FIS Stifel World Cup podium over 130 times. After sustaining multiple injuries, she retired in 2019 at the age of 35.
Despite her impressive resume, those injuries meant that a return to the podium was far from certain. Then, in 2024, Vonn got a titanium knee replacement. About 10 weeks later, she was skiing again, reportedly without pain. Later the same year, she announced her return to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team.
Fast-forward 8 months past her surgery, and Vonn made her breakout debut on the world stage in St. Moritz, earning 14th place. She continued to drive to the top throughout the season and finally stepped onto the podium at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals at the end of the season, securing second place in the super-G.
But Vonn, long considered one of the best downhill skiers ever, has her sights set on the highest goal of all: another gold medal at this season’s Winter Olympics. With her World Cup win this week, Vonn shows that she might just pull off what would be one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of ski racing.
“Every single thing that I could do to be faster, I did,” Vonn said after her win this week. “And now, now this is what happens. You get the reward.”
One thing is certain: The world will be watching when she hits the Olympic slopes in Italy this winter.
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