Lindsey Vonn holds up her second place medal Sunday.Alexis Boichard / /Agence Zoom / Getty Images
Six years since she retired from competitive racing, Lindsey Vonn has achieved second place during the Super-G event at the Sun Valley Idaho World Cup circuit. Vonn secured the World Cup podium platform at 40, becoming the most seasoned female Alpine ski racer to achieve this milestone by six years.
A Comeback Against the Odds
Competitive skiing brought Vonn many obstacles when she came back. She performed a partial knee replacement surgery one year ago, which medical experts thought would signal the permanent termination of her professional racing activities. She surprised everyone who predicted her failure by achieving an impressive performance at the World Cup finals Challenger course just four months after returning to sport.
The comeback was very challenging, according to Vonn. What I do right now is not a simple task. The achievement gave me a fantastic feeling of being able to inform everyone that I had completed it. That I can still do it.”
Defying Expectations
Vonn achieved a triumph in racing when she secured the second position after Swiss athlete Lara Gut-Behrami. Crossing the finish line enabled Vonn to see her time, producing an emotional reaction through her tears of achievement, relief, and confirmation of her ability. Throughout her training, she used negative comments to fuel her workouts, and she fought to prove her comeback to doubters for several months.
According to her statement, the negative voices drive her performance harder than the positive ones, “I use all that as fuel. During difficult periods throughout this year, the same motivation continued to drive her forward.
Lindsey Vonn of the United States competes in the women’s Super-G on Sunday. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
A Career of Resilience and Triumph
Her 138th World Cup podium placement during 408 races set Vonn near the record for female Alpine racer starts held by Renate Goetschl. Her last World Cup podium happened in March 2018, followed by a bronze win downhill at the 2019 Worlds after she chose retirement because knee injuries kept bothering her.
Vonn returned to competition through hard work and her deep skiing passion. She recovered well from her titanium knee implant surgery in April 2024, which gave her enough strength to challenge active younger athletes in her comeback attempt. The athlete expressed her belief that she continuously demonstrates infinite possibilities. Throughout my life, I experienced numerous setbacks both inside and outside my body, which never stopped me from rebounding.
Vonn will spend a brief period off before traveling to Europe tol conduct additional ski equipment testing sessions. The future of her racing career remains unknown, although her comeback victory confirmed her position as a legendary skier in history. Standing on the podium for the second time, Vonn delivered a clear message about how determination ignores age restrictions.
