When Lewis Hamilton recently jumped into a Ferrari Formula 1 car at 40, nobody asked if he was too old for the sport. In fact, they probably handed him a trophy just for showing up. Meanwhile, Marcel Hirscher returned to ski racing after a five-year break and got barely a peep of criticism. But when Lindsey Vonn, at 40, made her comeback this season after a similar hiatus, the critics came out like clockwork.

Some even asked, “Does she want to kill herself?” while others suggested she “see a psychologist.” All of this, even though she is proving herself by her performance. Vonn recently took part in her first World Championship race since 2019 and finished almost two seconds behind the leader. Vonn placed 15th in the downhill at Ski Worlds.

She called it a “practice run for the Olympics.” She is proving that while age might slow you down, it definitely doesn’t dull the sass. Not terrible, right? Still, the trolls kept trolling. But Lindsey, being Lindsey with 82 World Cup wins under her belt, shut the critics down with her words this time, leaving them nothing to say.

Vonn claps back at critics amidst netizens’ discontent

So, recently, Lindsey Vonn after the race was interviewed by CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux. The topic of her comeback and the scrutiny around women in sports, especially at her age, came up. The interviewer asked, “Some are questioning your comeback and the limitations around women in sport, particularly at your age. Can you comment on that? “

Without wasting a second, Lindsey shot back with a response that left no room for doubt. “Yeah, you know, I think we always expect people to do a certain thing by a certain age, and I think that expectation is wrong. I think if you believe in yourself and you work hard, you can achieve anything you set your mind to,” she said.

Vonn added, “Men have done what I’m doing—there’s no reason why I can’t do it. And I think, you know, criticism—there’s no place in sports for that kind of personal criticism. And I think I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I’m doing this because I enjoy it, because I love it, and that should be enough.” And she is completely right. Why shouldn’t one continue to pursue something if they are not hindering someone?

But Lindsey, with her mental fortitude, wasn’t one to think too deeply about these misgivings. The perennial champ simply said, “You know, it doesn’t matter—I don’t see what my results are. Although I was also doing pretty good so far, so I think I silenced some of those critics a long time ago.” Lindsey’s return to downhill skiing wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.

In fact, she first retired in 2019 after struggling with persistent injuries, but after undergoing a knee replacement in 2024, she decided to make a comeback. And fans? They were ecstatic! There’s nothing quite like seeing a legend come back for one more ride down the slopes. But this wasn’t a sudden decision.

It followed years of surgeries, a lot of research, and months of testing her body across places like New Zealand, Austria, and Colorado. She wasn’t just jumping in for the fun of it; she wanted to make sure her body could handle the rigors of the sport, especially at 40. But what were the results? Well, you might be in for a surprise.

Despite challenges, Lindsey Vonn focused on fine-tuning for future races

By the time Lindsey Vonn announced her comeback in November and rejoined the World Cup circuit in December, it was clear she was serious. And the results? Well, they spoke for themselves. Lindsey quickly showed that she still had the skills, consistently finishing among the top American skiers. Critics? They were still talking, but with every race, Lindsey continued to prove them wrong. And now her plans are big enough to shut everyone out.

On 8th February, Lindsey Vonn’s return to the World Championships didn’t quite go as planned, but honestly, you’d never know it by her attitude. After battling a cold that had her feeling less than 100%, she still showed up to race like the legend she is. She skipped the morning inspection, probably to nurse a hot cup of tea, but by the second checkpoint, she was neck and neck with Breezy Johnson, who was leading.

Unfortunately, the cold and the course weren’t in her favor, and she finished 1.96 seconds behind in 15th place. Still, not bad for someone who probably had a tissue box in her pocket! Even though Vonn didn’t snag the top spot this time, Vonn’s eyes are firmly set on the bigger prize. And that is the 2026 Winter Olympics.

She said she treated the race like a “practice run” for Milan-Cortina, adding a little pressure on herself to execute. “That’s my goal,” she said. She is dedicated to her comeback but she will continue preparing until the Olympics arrive with the full Vonn experience. The entire comeback plan for Vonn includes several advanced tactics (along with extra tissues for safety).