Is Lindsey Vonn coming out of retirement?
The Olympic medallist skier, who retired from the sport in 2019 due to injuries, is rumored to be making a return to competition in 2024-25.
Vonn recently returned to training after a successful partial knee replacement in April, as seen in videos on her Instagram page.
The Post learned Vonn was cleared to ski and has begun a return to skiing progression. A source told The Post that Vonn “feels incredible.”
She is planning to start as a forerunner in mid-December at the World Cup in Beaver Creek, Colorado, and then wants to compete in races after that, according to Swiss Newspaper newspaper Blick.
Former German skier Felix Neureuther told the newspaper that he heard the rumors of “Lindsey’s comeback” recently.
“I couldn’t imagine that you could ski really fast with an artificial knee joint,” Neureuther said of Vonn’s knee replacement surgery. “But looking at it from a distance, I say: If anyone can do the seemingly impossible, it is the one and only Lindsey Vonn.”
“She has been recovering well since then and her knee feels incredible,” a source said. “She has been supported by Red Bull but as of right now she has no definitive plans or timeline.”
Vonn, who celebrated her 40th birthday on Oct. 18, revealed she underwent a Mako Robot-assisted lateral unicompartmental replacement in April.
“In other words, they cut off part of my bone and replaced it with titanium pieces,” she wrote on Instagram at the time, adding that she hoped the surgery “helps me lead the active life I’ve always wanted.”
Vonn underwent knee surgery in July 2023 to try to slow down the need for a replacement.
The alpine skiing legend was recently training in the Austrian resort of Soelden, which fueled speculation of a possible comeback.
Vonn’s friend and fellow Olympic champion, Sofia Goggia, weighed in on the buzz.
“Who will live, will see,” she said.
Mikaela Shiffrin, who took over Vonn’s record for the most World Cup wins among women last year, added that she was “intrigued by it.”
Earlier this month, Vonn said her “new knee” has given her a healthy new chapter.
“With this new knee that is now a part of me… I feel like a whole new chapter of my life is unfolding before my eyes,” she wrote on Instagram, including a photo of her raising her arms while in New Zealand. “My adventurous spirit feels full of gratitude. To do the things you love to do is truly a blessing and I don’t take it for granted.
“I don’t know exactly what lies ahead but I know I’m healthy, happy and grateful.”
In 2019, Vonn announced her retirement and said “my body is broken beyond repair” in a long message on Facebook.
“Honestly, retiring isn’t what upsets me,” she said at the time. Retiring without reaching my goal is what will stay with me forever. However, I can look back at 82 World Cup wins, 20 World Cup titles, 3 Olympic medals, 7 World Championship medals and say that I have accomplished something that no other woman in HISTORY has ever done, and that is something that I will be proud of FOREVER! So please let my story be of comebacks, victories and even injuries, but do not tell my story as one of failures or unreached goals.
