Lindsey Vonn Takes Shot at Track and Field’s Brutal System As Skiing Legend Gets Honest Over Olympics Chances

The year 2019 saw Lindsey Vonn say goodbye (well, sort of) at the Alpine World Ski Championships in Are, Sweden. After an epic career that saw her win pretty much everything, she had bid adieu to the sport with her trophy case bursting at the seams. Without any drama, Vonn kept it cool, saying, “I think you just have a different perspective” when she raced. And challenge after challenge, she crushed it. Who else crashes at 85 mph and gets back up like it’s just another Tuesday? At 34, she retired… and then, surprise, in December 2024, out of nowhere, Vonn came back! And guess what? She had just one goal in mind – the fifth Winter Olympic Games!

Lindsey Vonn is back in action, aiming for a fifth Winter Olympic appearance at Milano Cortina 2026. She’s all in, determined to prove that hard work can still get her to the top. Now at 40, soon to be 41, she’s aware of the challenge ahead. But she is confident her skiing is better than ever, even saying she’s skiing stronger now than during the final years of her first run.

Back on the U.S. ski team, Vonn’s focusing on qualifying for that final Olympic run. In a recent interview with CBS News on March 9, Lee Cowan asked her how the qualification process works for those who might not know, and Vonn’s answer was spot on! However, it came with a little side-eye aimed at the tough system used in track and field.

Lindsey Vonn acknowledged that her results this year have been strong and will be taken into account, but ultimately, it all comes down to next season. As she put it, “

Yes, my results this year were solid, and they’ll definitely be considered, but really, it all comes down to next season—December through mid-January.” Over that period, she’ll compete in about 8 to 10 races, and those will be the deciding factor for Olympic qualification.

“It’s an accumulative point system, so I’ve got plenty of chances,” she explained. But  she pointed out something hurtful but true at the same time as she added, “It’s not like track and field, where you have one shot, and that’s it.” Vonn admitted, “I don’t know if I could do that.” “It’s an accumulative point system, so I’ve got plenty of chances,” Vonn explained, emphasizing that her Olympic qualification depends on consistent results over several races.

But then, Lindsey Vonn made a remark that was both honest and revealing when she said, “It’s not like track and field, where you have one shot and that’s it.” In track and field, athletes don’t get the same opportunity to recover from a single poor performance. One bad race, one moment, and their Olympic dreams could be dashed. There’s no room for error.

Vonn’s comparison makes total sense when you think about how unforgiving track and field can be. Look at the U.S. Olympic Trials selection: only the three best finishers in each competition secure qualification. If you’re fourth? Too bad your shot’s gone. No room for mistakes. In those comments, Vonn expressed doubt about competing under such rigid qualifying standards. Results from skiing accumulate since the sport allows individuals to build their performance gradually over time.

A single off-race for track athletes becomes a year-long redemption process while their success in every race determines their Olympic qualification. At the same time, Vonn Vonn herself could have been part of track and field too! Maybe an Olympian!

Lindsey Vonn’s Olympic dream in a different sport

Lindsey Vonn would have qualified as a competitor for the Olympic games in 2010 in another athletic discipline. During that summer, Lindsey Vonn incorporated 400-meter sprints into her established training program. Why? She included 400-meter sprint training to enhance her quick response capacity during alpine racing’s slalom segments.

During her training period, she managed to sprint the quarter-mile distance in just 52 seconds. A 1964 or 1968 Olympic track competition would have awarded her gold if she had competed in those events. The time she recorded at 52 or 53 seconds remains impressive even after considering minor rounding errors because it exceeds documented track performance by amateur athletes.

As for her skiing career now, Vonn is still going strong. In the 2024/25 FIS World Cup season, she had some solid finishes: 14th in super-G at St. Moritz, 6th and 4th in downhill and super-G at St. Anton, and a couple more strong performances in Kvitfjell. In February 2025, at 40, she took part in her ninth World Championships in Saalbach, Austria, finishing 15th in downhill and 16th in Team Combined. However, she did have a DNF in super-G.

Vonn returned to the World Cup in December 2024, following a solid showing in Copper Mountain, Colorado. But now, Lindsey Vonn has set her sights on the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. She is ready to close out this second chapter of her legendary career. But the real question is whether she’ll gather enough points to make it to the Olympics. Guess we’ll have to wait and see!