The platform was set. The snow cannons and the slopes in Copper Mountain of Colorado had a good idea of what she could do. On December 7, the snow bed of the American town witnessed Lindsey Vonn in her fresh inning. Making a comeback at 40, no one expected her to break the sky in her first professional race in the last six years. Her fans, however, were thrilled to watch her as she donned her ski gear and raced down the slopes. They had been setting their eyes on her since she announced her comeback. They all prayed for a smooth finishing of the race. Naturally, after Vonn’s show, their emotions took center stage. In that list of fans, Michael Phelps made his presence felt. 

Yes, Michael Phelps had been observing Lindsey Vonn’s developments. On December 7, he must have seen Vonn’s smooth sailing in the FIS Fall Festival. In the contest, the four-time world champion had two downhill races. The respectable finishing in both races would have allowed her to enter the ongoing World Cup races. Setting her target on the Winter Olympics 2026, Vonn may not have a better practice than entering the FIS Ski World Cup. On D-day, that factor pushed her to go beyond her limits. 

Ultimately, Lindsey Vonn ended two downhill races, claiming the 24th and 27th positions. Were those results enough for her to punch her ticket for the World Cup? Yes, Vonn set her hands on what she wanted. On December 9, the Olympian broke the news on her Instagram handle. In the thankful note, she penned, “Well… I have officially qualified for the World Cup!! The races this weekend were so much fun and a great training opportunity.” She took her time to explain her emotions. Subsequently, the words came into Michael Phelps’ view. 

The Baltimore Bullet felt immense satisfaction watching his close mate defying challenges again. He had always wanted that from her, throughout the phases. Now, in 2024, things have been taking shape for Vonn. Phelps has good wishes for her during this endeavor. On that note, he dropped his message in the comment box, “Yessss!! Have fun out there!!” Vonn, despite being the talk of the town, didn’t miss Phelps’s heartfelt comment. She responded to it with an equal measure: “always [heart emoji]” Will these shares of emotions motivate Vonn to topple the barriers again?

Per Lindsey, she ‘still has some work to do.’ Mainly, this is about filling up the gaps in her preparation. That seems justified, as before appearing in the race, she had a handful of time to brush up on her abilities. At the same time, Vonn has multiple things to embrace as the bright sides. 

In the same post, she mentioned, “Being in the start with my teammates it felt like I had never stopped racing…but at the same time I have to keep everything in perspective. I had a partial knee replacement only a few months ago, I have not trained or raced in almost 6 years and have only a few days of training.” Now, she is quite measured in taking her steps. She is not losing her hope. Instead, she thinks it will only take a day to reclaim her previous shape. Doesn’t it promote a belief in her? A few years ago, that part of her hit rock bottom. And guess who came as her savior? 

Lindsey Vonn once found hope in Michael Phelps’s comment 

Throughout the years, Lindsey Vonn and surgeries posed as inseparable parts. This year, in April, she had her last knee surgery. The experience, however, was positive for her. After all, the magical improvement in her fitness followed that surgery. But last year, the experience wasn’t the same. In July, she had to undergo yet another knee surgery to fix her lateral collateral ligament tear. It was her 10th on the list. Naturally, everything coming with the experience wasn’t memorable for her. Day after day, Lindsey had to suffer from the excruciating pain while stuck in a bedridden situation. The pain showed no mercy to her. However, she soon had Michael Phelps beside her as a ray of hope. 

After a few weeks of Vonn’s surgery, Phelps shared a motivational video on his Instagram story. It showed Allison Schmidt’s face coated in sweat after completing a high-intensity training regimen. Meanwhile, the video’s description read, “Michael Phelps, you inspired me to keep pushing when I felt the sweat… all for a #chindrip.” That stood to be something related to Schmidt’s Olympic practice. However, Phelps tagged Vonn with the story with the words, “Look at the drip.” The post seemed to be stunning as it watered the bond between the two Olympians. Well, Vonn took her motivation and stood on her knees again. Now, yet another time, Michael Phelps has dropped a message for her. Will Lindsey Vonn win the World Cup? What do you think?