United States’ Lindsey Vonn in action during alpine ski women’s downhill training, at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026.
Robert F. Bukaty/AP
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Robert F. Bukaty/AP
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — With the Olympic women’s downhill race set to take place Sunday morning, there is one question on the minds of seemingly everyone in the Dolomites: Will Lindsey Vonn actually pull this off?
The 41-year-old Team USA star, who had already had a decorated career when she retired in 2019, is now staging a comeback within a comeback: After launching out of retirement straight into the stratosphere of the World Cup downhill standings, the only thing more impressive would be if she can cap it all off with an Olympic medal barely a week after tearing her ACL.
The downhill race is set to begin at 11:30 a.m. local time on the Olimpia delle Tofane ski course in Cortina, a classic and beloved stop on the World Cup circuit.
Cortina has played host to several significant moments of Vonn’s career, including her first ever World Cup podium, and the victory that made her the winningest female skier in World Cup history (a title that now belongs to fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin).
That Cortina is hosting the women’s alpine events at the 2026 Olympics was a key motivator for Vonn, she told reporters last year. “If it had been anywhere else, I would probably say it’s not worth it,” she said in October. “But for me there’s something special about Cortina that always pulls me back, and it’s pulled me back one last time.”
Vonn’s comeback began with a partial knee replacement in 2024 that installed a titanium implant in her right knee. Before her ACL tear late last month at a race in Switzerland, Vonn’s performance this season had left no room for debate. She was atop the FIS leaderboard with two World Cup wins, bringing her career total to 84, and five other podium finishes.
Team USA skier Breezy Johnson is also a medal contender. The 30-year-old is making her return to the Olympics after badly injuring her knee in a series of crashes shortly before the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Johnson is set to ski sixth and Vonn 13th. Two other American skiers — Jackie Wiles and Bella Wright — will also compete. The Tofane course has been beset by fog and light snow in recent days, leading to delays and cancellations of training runs.
