Olympic Gold Medalist Lindsey Vonn Comes Out of Retirement to Rejoin U.S. Ski Team

Vonn last competed in 2019.

Vonn last competed in the 2018 Winter Olympics / Shanna Lockwood-Imagn Images

A U.S. Olympic skiing legend is coming out of retirement.

On Thursday, the surprising news broke that Lindsey Vonn planned to come out of retirement and rejoin the U.S. Ski Team. Vonn last raced in 2019 and her last Olympics came in Pyeongchang for the 2018 Winter Games.

Vonn, 40, is one of the most decorated female skiers in history. She's a three-time Olympic gold medalist and her 82 World Cup victories were the most ever by a woman until Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed her in 2023. Vonn competed in the Olympics from 2002-2018, only missing the 2014 Games due to injury.

Vonn retired after she won bronze in women's downhill at the 2019 World Championships, becoming the oldest woman at 34 years old to medal at a world championship. At the time the skier indicated her long history of injuries played a role in her decision to retire, stating "Physically, I’ve gotten to the point where it doesn’t make sense... I really would like to be active when I’m older, so I have to look to the future and not just be so focused on what’s in front of me." Earlier this year, Vonn underwent surgery for a partial knee replacement.

Vonn is back with Team USA effective immediately and said "Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey," and that she is excited to "continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women."

It is not yet known what events Vonn plans to participate in. The next Olympic games are scheduled to take place in 2026 in Italy.

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