Lindsey Vonn’s comeback announcement has truly set the sporting world on fire! At 40, she’s unrestrained by age, her knee replacement surgery, or the fact that she’d already bid adieu to competitive skiing 5 years back, which is nothing short of phenomenal.

But while it must have taken guts of steel to take this leap and rejoin the US Ski team for the 2024-25 season, a few are already doubting her chances of doing well this time. And the most significant aspect is that these aren’t enthusiasts or fans, but renowned veterans who are dubious if Vonn can put on her A-game and bag a win.

Lindsey Vonn’s wins to not exceed 82, predicts ski legend

From the lens of the Swiss ex-champion, Sonja Nef, Lindsey Vonn’s chances of increasing her World Cup race victories beyond 82 are a long shot. Nef told the Blick that it was, “Impossible. At 40, you can’t go full throttle like that, and especially not with an artificial knee joint.”

Interestingly, Bruno Kernen shared a similar opinion. He added that Lindsey Vonn’s rise on the rankings list this season shall depend on the terrain and the snow conditions. While she may make it into the top 10 now and then, he doesn’t think she can step onto the World Cup podium to be precise.

Amidst all these opinions coming in from seasoned experts, it’s difficult to predict what exactly is the plan on Lindsey Vonn’s cards. On one hand, she’d recently mentioned that her goal is to enjoy her return after nearly six years of her retirement. But, at the same time, a competitive spark is visible in her.

Vonn’s words, “I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions” suggest that she may be eyeing big things this season. Also, time and again, the ace skier has reiterated that she is getting back without pain, which hints that she’s made an informed decision and her knee will hardly restrict her.

In fact, post her surgery in April, the American had assured feeling stronger than ever. And truly, her strength and stamina levels have been visible, for she has been putting in the grind to get back in shape lately.

Vonn is pushing her limits in the gym

The 3x Olympic medalist Vonn has been paying great attention to fine-tuning her fitness for her season comeback. Her social media updates often include snippets of her weightlifting/strength training workouts, like her recent story which covered a rather intense session. Also, one of her posts from September revealed that she’d spent all of her summer ‘leveling up’ before she could get back to the mountains.

And all that grind and the extra hours in the gym have indeed been paying off. As she recently posted a video of her jumping on her right leg, something she hasn’t been able to do in many years. This led her to confess, “Today I am SO much stronger than I was before!” Thus, speculations that her artificial knee may hinder her form may seem unfounded.

Also, her preparation for the season seems to be on point. She had been catching the early morning sessions in Solden previously. Moreover, her recent story update shows her engrossed in a similar training with the Stifel Team USA squad. But do you think all this practice is likely to bear results if she confronts the in-form challengers in a World Cup race?