Lindsey Vonn Announces Return To Team USA After Five Years

When three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn retired in 2019, she did so with no intention of ever returning to Team USA.

That all changed on Nov. 14 when the 40-year-old legendary alpine skier announced her return to competition following a near six-year retirement.

The announcement came in an exclusive interview with the The New York Times, published on Thursday.

“I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through,” she told the outlet, further describing the decision as “amazing and definitely not planned.”

“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,” she added.

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Vonn, who last competed in February 2019, initially retired due to the physical toll her 18-year career was having on her body — which included broken bones, torn ligaments, concussions, and more.

After undergoing a partial right knee replacement in April, she returned to the slopes and was surprised to learn that she was pain-free.

“I had a smile so wide it was coming through the back of my helmet,” Vonn said.

She also revealed some of the advice she received from longtime friend and fellow sports icon Roger Federer, who retired from tennis in 2022 at 41 years old.

“He said something that kind of stuck with me,” Vonn said. “He said: ‘I squeezed every drop out of the lemon that I had. There was nothing left for me to give.’

It’s a similar thought that she had when she retired, but that viewpoint has changed in recent months.

“I pushed myself as hard as I could. But I feel like I have more juice in my lemon now,” she said.

While she knows a return to the snow won’t be easy, she says she’s not going to put herself in a position to fail and will enjoy this journey wherever it takes her.

“My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races,” she explained. “I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions.”

Those intentions start with rejoining the United States ski team on Nov. 15 and taking part in the team’s training sessions in Colorado this weekend.

The hope is to compete in the World Cup circuit this winter, where she already has 82 victories in her career.

According to The New York Times, her official return to racing could happen as soon as next month.

While Vonn doesn’t want to get too far ahead of herself, she knows that the 2026 Olympics are within reach, if she can make consistent progress over the next few months.

“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina and I’ve had a lot of success in Cortina,” she said, referring to the Italian region of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where the Olympic alpine races will be held.

“I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half hold for me. So I can’t say right now if it’s a possibility,” she added before a brief pause.

Twelve of Vonn’s 82 World Cup wins have come in Cortina. Winning a fourth Olympic medal in the region would be icing on the cake.

Vonn already has a downhill gold and super-G bronze medal to her name, both of which she won at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. She also won a downhill bronze in 2018.

But if you were to ask her, she’s “not chasing anything” and “not trying to prove anything to anyone.”

“With what I’ve done in my career, I’m thankful I can be in this position. I don’t have any pressure,” she told NYT. “It’s just me and the mountain like it was in the beginning.”

The 59th edition of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup began Oct. 26. The next event is Nov. 16, and the season will run through March 2025. The next Winter Olympics takes place in February 2026.