The sports community can be very skewed in their interests. While on one hand, they will openly criticize an athlete, they’ll show their utmost support to others. And this trend can be seen with even more clarity when it comes to female athletes. One such victim of this blatant disregard by the netizens is skiing legend Lindsey Vonn. But while things were getting out of hand, an old friend came to her rescue.

Legendary Austrian skier and Vonn’s close friend Marcel Hirscher called Lindsey Vonn a “role model.” She called out the criticism directed at the American for coming out of retirement as “very unfair.” According to the Iosco County News Herald, Hirscher said, “I can’t understand those messages because for me it is just inspiring.” While Hrischer backed Vonn, she pointed out that this kind of criticism only goes for women and why comebacks or such things don’t go for male athletes.

Hirscher also argued that Vonn “showed us that if you have a big dream, mostly it doesn’t matter how huge the steps are that have to be taken.” Indeed, Vonn made her comeback after a partial knee replacement surgery in April 2024. The Austrian-Dutch World Cup alpine ski racer further adds, “I was close to crying when I saw her skiing in Sankt Anton am Arlberg.”

Vonn finished sixth in the downhill and fourth in the super-G and she finished the super-G just 1.24s behind the winner (fellow American Lauren Macuga). “It was crazy, I mean, no one was expecting this,” Hircsher expressed. Further, he goes, “So she is a big role model for all human beings (and shows) that big dreams, big wishes, if you work for them, everything, mostly everything, is possible.”

The athlete’s achievement not only defied expectations but also reinforced the idea that relentless dedication can turn aspirations into reality. Just like Lindsey Vonn, other skiing stars made their comeback after setbacks.

Skiing legends made their comeback with a bang and Lindsey Vonn is one of them

Skiing has witnessed some remarkable comebacks, with legends like Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Sofia Goggia proving their resilience on the slopes. On February 5, catastrophe struck. The adored “speed queen” of Italy, Sofia Goggia, fell in Ponte di Legno while practicing giant slalom. She fractured her right foot’s malleolus and tibia after colliding severely with a gate.

Her 2023–24 season ended abruptly due to the surgery, but she made her solid comeback in December 2024. But how did her performance go? Well, Sofia Goggia won the women’s Super G and finished on the podium for the second time in a row. She secured the win at the FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado, on December 15, capping off a memorable comeback weekend.

Meanwhile, Mikaela Shiffrin continues to set new benchmarks despite facing her share of challenges. It must have been very difficult to come back after a crash on snow followed by surgery. But athletes like Shiffrin gave their best to get back. She faced a major crash in November 2024, which led to a severe abdominal injury while skiing in Killington.

After battling both physical and mental challenges, she had to withdraw from the World Alpine Skiing Championships. But her vigor and zeal brought her return in January 2025. She competed in the Courchevel slalom and secured 10th position. Veterans like Goggia and Lindsey continue to hold themselves as prime examples of true role models. They are doing this despite the constant criticism and badmouthing.