“I would never go past that. It would be a great way to end things—for once and for all.” Lindsey Vonn’s words say it all, right? She’s 40 now, but let’s not forget the insane legacy she left behind—82 World Cup wins, the highest for any woman in alpine skiing—until Mikaela Shiffrin came and hit 99. But these World Cup championship wins of Lindsey’s career were from 2004 to retirement.

Yes! because injuries forced her to hang up her skis in 2018. As she said at that time, “I have accepted that I cannot continue ski racing.” Still, if there’s one thing about Lindsey, it’s her passion. That passion brought her back to the slopes last December after getting artificial knee surgery, and honestly, who else would come back like that?

Vonn’s comeback was a rollercoaster. She placed 14th in her first race in St. Moritz, Switzerland—not bad after years away. Then she turned it up, landing sixth and fourth in St. Anton, Austria. Sure, there were haters. Some even said, “Vonn should see a psychologist,” but she shut them up with her performance. Then, on January 19, just as she was gunning for a top-five finish, she had a nasty fall. Was it heartbreaking? Absolutely. But if there’s one thing we know about Lindsey, it’s that she doesn’t stay down for long. She gets what it takes to be the best, and she’ll always give credit where it’s due. That’s the Lindsey Vonn way, and she recently did it!

Vonn takes a spill but keeps her head above the water

After Lindsey Vonn had a fall during the World Cup super-G in Cortina, she quickly recovered, skied to the finish, and waved to the crowd. Despite finishing in 20th place, she made it clear that her heart was with her teammates, and she wasn’t backing down. But it was on January 21st, when Paula Moltzan raced in Kronplatz, Italy, that Vonn had another reason to celebrate.

Moltzan secured her first World Cup giant slalom podium, rising from 10th place after the first run to finish third. Just 94 hundredths of a second behind the winner, Alice Robinson of New Zealand, Moltzan’s impressive performance made her the second American woman in her 30s to earn a World Cup GS podium, following in Vonn’s footsteps back in 2015.

Although Vonn missed the podium, she took the opportunity to celebrate her teammate’s victory. She posted a story on Instagram about her praise for teammate Paul Moltzan, which was a re-shared story of the U.S. Ski Team with the caption, “First GS Podium! @paulamoltzan just did that!” Vonn added her own message of support: “Congrats, @paulamoltzan!! First GS podium. Go Minnesota!” Despite not taking home the win in this event, Vonn shows complete dedication to skiing and keeps track of her teammates’ progress. So, does this mean she’s ready to retire? Not exactly. Lindsey has some plans for the work.

Will Lindsey Vonn make her final race in Cortina?

Have you heard about the Winter Olympics scheduled for 2026 in Italy? The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place from February 6-22 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. And guess who’s already thinking about it? Lindsey Vonn. At age 40 with a titanium knee replacement, she plans to continue racing downhill skiing. She wants to come back to the Cortina course where her passion for ski racing began and her target is the 2026 Winter Games. As she told The Associated Press, “It would be a great way to end things, for once and for all.” 

But will she be able to make it to the Olympics? Cortina’s been pretty good to her over the years. Since 2004, she has earned six World Cup downhill victories plus six super-G wins totaling 12 at her most successful venue. In 2015, she achieved history at this location after surpassing the previous 35-year win mark in World Cup events.

Even the same Cortina marked the end of her first chapter in 2019. Why? When knee pain forced her to retire. But for Vonn, it’s all about the memories. And she’s not done making them yet. “I’ve had so many great memories here,” she says, recalling her biggest moments. With that kind of mindset, we’re all rooting for her to finish this journey on her own terms.