Lindsey Vonn released a powerful message on social media Saturday, one day before she is set to do the last Olympic downhill ski run of her career — with a torn ACL.
Vonn will compete in the Women’s Downhill Final on Sunday at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics, with the event scheduled to start at 4:30 a.m. CT.
“I will stand in the starting gate tomorrow and know I am strong. Know that I believe in myself. Know that the odds are stacked against me with my age, no ACL, and a titanium knee- but know that I still believe,” Vonn wrote in the post. “And usually, when the odds are stacked against me the most, I pull the best of what’s inside me out.”
Alpine Skiing at Milan Cortina 2026 will air on NBC Chicago and USA Network. Streaming will be available on Peacock, NBCOlympics.com and on the NBC Olympics app.
“I will race tomorrow in my final Olympic Downhill and while I can’t guarantee a good result, I can guarantee I will give it everything I have,” she said. “But no matter what happens, I have already won.”
Vonn announced her decision to compete despite the injury just five days ago.
She was injured when she lost control and ended up tangled in the safety nets during a World Cup race on Friday. She said she completely ruptured her ACL in the crash and has bone bruising “plus meniscal damage” in her left leg.
In the post, Vonn addressed a question she said many were asking: why compete with the injury?
She said the answer is a “simple” one: “I just love ski racing,” she wrote.
“I am not unsure about life outside of sport. I am not searching for meaning or for attention or money. I know exactly who I am and I know exactly what I am made of. I am the product of amazing parents who showed me that hard work and determination pays off.”
Vonn’s appearance at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games comes years after she retired in February 2019 as the most decorated female alpine skier in history.
She also plans to compete in the Women’s Super-G and a new team combined event.
from NBC Chicago https://ift.tt/dVe1BRA
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