Lindsey Vonn has spoken about her injury and her future in skiing. © ANSA / TIL BUERGY / STF

Vonn looks ahead: "Maybe I'll step down."

Lindsey Vonn has spoken in a detailed interview about her future in skiing – which could not be more uncertain.

02 May 2026

From: never

Nearly two months have passed since her serious crash in the downhill at the Cortina d'Ampezzo Olympics. On that fateful day on the Olimpia delle Tofane, the American suffered a complicated fracture in her left leg, followed by eight surgeries. Vonn still faces at least one more operation to treat a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the same knee.

A few days ago, the 41-year-old told the People-Magazine, that she wants to return to the slopes again in the autumn.She did not comment on her sporting future at that time – but has now addressed this in an interview with Associated Press (AP) after. “Maybe I’ll retire, maybe I’ll never race again. And that would be perfectly fine,” explained the four-time overall World Cup winner. “But emotionally, I’m not in a position to make that decision right now.”

Vonn: "That was simply extreme."

The anxious moments in Cortina, including camera footage and Reports of the ski queen's painful screams They are still very much present in the minds of fans and observers. And even for Vonn, who had to endure a multitude of injuries throughout her career, the following weeks were an unprecedented ordeal.

"This is in a completely different universe than anything I have experienced before." Lindsey Vonn

“The severity of the injury and the fact that I could have lost my leg make all the difference,” she explained. “I can handle a lot of pain, but this was just extreme. This is in a completely different universe than anything I’ve experienced before.”

Vonn: Comeback in at least a year and a half

Even if Vonn were to decide to return to the World Cup, she and the skiing world would have to be patient. "Nothing will happen until the winter of 2027/28 anyway, because I still have surgery to remove the metal and replace my ACL," Vonn explained. "Once my ACL is operated on, it takes another six months. So I have at least a year and a half before I'm really back to 100 percent – ​​even in terms of training in the gym."

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Her father's words, in which he publicly stated his wish that she end her career for good after the shock in Cortina, caused a major stir. "He means well. He just forgot the most important rule with me: If you don't want me to do something, don't tell me I can't do it. Tell me I can't, and I'll prove you wrong," said Vonn.

Right now, though, her only focus is on her leg healing. "Like I said, I'm still in survival mode and just want to get through this phase and then be able to assess where I stand in life," Vonn said. "And take stock of what I've done and what's still possible, and make decisions in a much better situation than now. I don't want to make any decisions now because that would be hasty and probably too emotional, and I don't want to make a mistake, you know?"