Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn might have hung up her skis back in 2019, but it turns out, you can’t keep a mountain queen down for long! After officially stepping away from the slopes, citing her body’s limits (though her heart and mind were still raring to go), Vonn seemed set on a future without racing. “I am struggling with the reality of what my body is telling me versus what my mind and heart believe I’m capable of,” she said back then, sounding every bit like an athlete forced to bow out before she was ready.

Fast-forward five years, and guess what? At 40, Lindsey Caroline Vonn is strapping in again, defying the odds (and maybe some common sense) to return to competitive skiing! Yes, she’s gone through knee surgery, and that fire only became brighter. Now, the Olympic gold medalist is gearing up for a second act, and the skiing world is buzzing. So, what’s behind this epic comeback?

Lindsey Vonn returns to the slopes with a stronger will—and knee

Lindsey Vonn’s comeback rumors started swirling back in October when she teased everyone with her snowy outing and a workout video—and now, it’s official! The US Ski & Snowboard Team confirmed it with an ‘X’ post saying, “Welcome back to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team,” tagging Vonn. Not one to keep fans guessing, Vonn jumped onto her own ‘X’ account to add, “Well, it’s off to Colorado… I hope the @usskiteam uniform still fits. #onedayatatime.” This is no small return, either.

With three Winter Olympic medals and stacks of World Cup victories under her belt, she is training hard to recapture her edge in downhill and super-G. She’s already done 15 days of race training across Europe and New Zealand, reacquainting herself with the intense demands of the sport. “I have done jumps already and 60-second super-Gs but I haven’t done a full-length course,” she shared with the New York Times. “I definitely have to get through that next step in order to really make a solid plan going forward.”

Her first target? The women’s World Cup races at Beaver Creek, Colorado, on Dec. 14-15. She could even start as a forerunner, testing the course before the official race. And if all goes well, she’s eyeing the super-G World Cup races in St. Moritz on Dec. 21-22, thanks to a wild card exemption for former Olympic and world champs.

All of this comes after a big surgery in April to fix her knee, which hadn’t fully straightened in nearly a decade. After a successful casual free-ski session, Vonn wondered if her knee could handle a comeback. She soon reached out to her old coach Chris Knight and, with Patrick Riml from Red Bull, headed to New Zealand in August. And soon she was doing 15 runs. “I haven’t done 15 runs in one day since my mid-20s.”

Vonn is ready to join the elite league of athletes defying age—think Tom Brady, Serena Williams, and Tiger Woods. But this comeback isn’t just for kicks; she’s back to win. “My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions.” Fans, skiers, and sports lovers are all buzzing waiting to see just how far she can push this second act!

Fans are hyped for the history-making queen’s return after five years!

After five years away, the snow queen Lindsey Vonn was welcomed with arms wide open, and fans were in a flurry! One fan gushed, “Excited to see you shine! Go get that gold! 🥇” After all, this is the woman who made history as the first American to win Olympic gold in downhill back in 2010. Safe to say, Vonn’s fans are 100% behind her, eager for her to add even more medals to her already epic legacy. And if there’s one thing they know for sure, it’s that Vonn isn’t one to back down from a challenge.

Back in 2012, Lindsey Vonn’s competitive fire burned so brightly that she pushed for permission to race against men, taking on the International Ski Federation with a bold request they ultimately turned down. Just weeks later, though, she made her point on the slopes: in a downhill training run at Lake Louise, Canada, Vonn clocked a jaw-dropping 136 kilometers per hour (84.5 mph), reportedly faster than any male skier on the course that day.

Now fans are ready for some serious ground speed. “Very much looking forward to this comeback and absolutely sure you have that ‘ground speed.’ 50% of the 26-year-olds don’t have 🍀 #fisalpine—no pressure, just fun,” one fan chimed in. And honestly? Watching Vonn back on a course is all the thrill we need. Vonn isn’t just back to cruise; she’s back to compete.

Even her ski peers are fired up about her return, like Luca Braathen and Nina O’Brien, while her record-breaking successor, Mikaela Shiffrin is excited too. One fan admitted, “Well, this is going to be a fun watch… I loved watching you smash it out of the park but have been a @MikaelaShiffrin fan for many years too. Good luck though, LV.”

Vonn’s women’s record of 82 World Cup victories was held until Shiffrin passed it in January 2023, but no hard feelings here! “I think it’s amazing what she’s done for the sport and I’m really excited to be her teammate again,” Vonn told The New York Times. Nothing but love and mutual respect between these two alpine queens!

For fans, Vonn’s comeback feels like witnessing history. In her last World Championships, she grabbed bronze with a time of 1:02.23, making her the first female skier to medal in six different championships. Then, in January 2023, she made headlines again as the first woman to ski the legendary Streif course solo—a milestone that proves her thrill for the slopes hasn’t waned. With the countdown to her return on, fans are beyond ready to see her back in action.

As one fan shared, “And hence the GREATEST COMEBACK IN THE HISTORY OF SPORTS begins! Good Luck, Lindsey.” Vonn isn’t just returning; she’s making a statement. “I’m not chasing anything; I’m not trying to prove anything to anyone,” Lindsey Vonn shared. “With what I’ve done in my career, I’m thankful I can be in this position. I don’t have any pressure. It’s just me and the mountain like it was in the beginning.”