Lindsey Vonn’s dream of one last Winter Olympic run has been tested many times by injury, but even a ruptured ACL suffered a few days ago at a World Cup downhill event in Switzerland hasn’t shaken her resolve to race at the 2026 Winter Games. Instead of walking away, the American downhill legend has doubled down on her goal of making it to the start gate in Milano-Cortina, insisting that as long as she can safely ski with a knee brace at a high level, she intends to compete.
The injury, which would end most skiers’ seasons and possibly their careers, is only the latest chapter in Vonn’s long history of knee problems. She has endured multiple ACL tears, fractures, and a litany of other setbacks over the years, each of which forced her into grueling rehab programs and long stretches away from the World Cup circuit. Yet those same experiences have given her an intimate understanding of what her body can and cannot handle, and that knowledge is fueling her belief that one more comeback is still possible.
Vonn, now 41 years old, has framed this push not as a reckless gamble, but as a calculated, deeply personal decision. She has often said that alpine skiing still brings her joy, and that returning to the Olympics is about finishing her career on her own terms rather than letting injuries write the final chapter for her. In her view, the risk is real but acceptable: if doctors clear her, and she feels she can race without endangering her long‑term health, she wants to test herself on the sport’s biggest stage one last time.
Central to that motivation is Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Italian resort that will host the women’s speed events at the 2026 Games. Vonn has a special connection to the course there, where she has piled up wins and podiums throughout her career and often spoken of it as a “second home.” The chance to close out her competitive life on a hill she knows intimately, rather than on a new or unfamiliar Olympic track, is a powerful pull that she admits she wouldn’t ignore—even in the wake of another serious knee injury.
Is Vonn still a good bet?
Vonn intends to compete in the women’s downhill event this Sunday, and she still holds +300 odds to win the competition outright and -150 odds to earn a podium finish (+110 no) at bet365. Only Italian skier Sofia Goggia has shorter odds (+175) than the injured Vonn in that discipline.
The +110 odds on “no” to earn a podium finish hold tremendous value in this case. And although Vonn is a god in the realm of women’s skiing with 82 World Cup wins and three Olympic medals already on her resume, finishing in the top three of the downhill event with another serious injury is virtually impossible, and online sportsbooks appear to be overvaluing her chances of a strong finish.
Vonn to miss the podium in women’s downhill
Vonn is also set to compete in the women’s Super G event and holds the second-shortest outright odds (+300) behind Goggia (+250).
From a betting perspective, fading Vonn in these events is the shrewd play, but of course everyone will be rooting for the skiing legend to have a strong finish at these Olympic Games to cap her illustrious career on the slopes.