Lindsey Vonn to compete on Feb. 8 in the women’s downhill event - says her “Olympic dream is not over”

Vonn suffered a complete ACL rupture in her left knee and bone bruising that required an airlift to the hospital on Jan. 30. She posted on Instagram that she’ll race the women’s downhill on Feb. 8. Her objective is still to go for gold despite tearing her ACL.

Complete statement posted on social media:

Well… I completely tore my ACL last Friday. I also sustained a bone bruise (which is a common injury when you tear your ACL), plus meniscal tears but it’s unclear how much of that was there previously and what was new from the crash.

This was obviously incredibly hard news to receive one week before the Olympics. I really appreciate everyone giving me time and space to process what happened and find a way forward.

After extensive consultations with doctors, intense therapy, physical tests as well as skiing today, I have determined I am capable of competing in the Olympic Downhill on Sunday. Of course I will still need to do one training run, as is required to race on Sunday, but… I am confident in my body’s ability to perform. Despite my injuries my knee is stable, I do not have swelling and my muscles are firing and reacting as they should. I will obviously be continuing to evaluate with my medical team on a daily basis to make sure we are making smart decisions but I have every intention of competing on Sunday.

I know what my chances in these Olympics were before this crash, and even though my chances aren’t the same now, there is still a chance. And as long as I have a chance, I will not lose hope. I will not give up! It’s not over yet!

Vonn will be looking to add on to these numbers below at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina:

16 - Vonn’s age when she made her World Cup debut in Park City in November 2000, competing in the slalom.

17 - She was only a year older when she took her bow on the Olympic stage in Salt Lake City in 2002, finishing sixth in the combined and 32nd in the slalom.

3 - Her Olympic career has delivered three medals - two bronze (super-G in Vancouver in 2010 and downhill in Pyeongchang last year) and a gold in the downhill at the 2010 Games.

1 - That triumph in Whistler saw her become the first American woman to win downhill gold at the Olympics.

8 - World Championship medals won by the American including two gold medals in 2009 (downhill, super-G), three silver medals (2007, 2011), and three bronze medals (2015, 2017, 2019)

83 - Vonn’s tally of World Cup race wins is the most of any woman, 20 more than nearest challenger Annemarie Moser-Proll.

20 - Those race wins contributed to 20 FIS Alpine World Cup crystal globes—including 4 Overall, a record 8 Downhill, 5 Super-G, and 3 Combined titles. Her 20-globe total (through 2016) surpassed the previous record of 19 held by Ingemar Stenmark

8 - World Cup downhill titles, won across a nine-year span, including six in succession between 2008 and 2013.

4 - Overall World Cup crowns, won between 2008 and 2012. In the year she missed out, in 2011, she came second - an agonising three points behind Maria Hofl-Riesch.

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