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Lindsey Vonn’s much-anticipated return has hit a temporary snag.
The 41-year-old skiing legend, who suffered a ruptured ACL in her left knee following a crash in Switzerland last Friday, was set to attend her first training session on Thursday. However, heavy snowfall, with seven inches already blanketing the Olympia delle Tofane course in Milan and more expected, forced the session’s cancellation.
This development comes just a day after Vonn confirmed her intention to compete in the 2026 Olympics, undeterred by her recent injury.
Vonn is now eyeing training opportunities on Friday and Saturday, ahead of the scheduled downhill event on Sunday.
According to the rules set by the International Ski and Snowboard Federation, competitors are required to complete at least one training session before the event. Vonn’s head coach, Chris Knight, indicated that she might only participate in a single session to meet this requirement.
“This is not an unknown for me, I’ve done this before, I wish I wasn’t in this position, but this is where I am and I will do the best I can,” Vonn told reporters Tuesday.
Vonn confirmed her progress with an Instagram post Thursday morning featuring a training video from Milan, which showed her doing various exercises such as squats and box jumps while sporting a knee brace.
“I’m not giving up working as hard as I can to make it happen! Thank you to my team and everyone for your incredible support. Keep believing,” Vonn wrote in the caption.
She added her goal is to still race in her signature downhill event but wouldn’t be fully sure until she returns to the slopes.
The cancelation gives the three-time Olympic medalist extra time to prepare for arguably her most challenging Games to date following her injury that also resulted in bone bruising and meniscal damage.
Vonn announced in November 2024 that she was unretiring to compete in the 2026 Olympics.
Prior to that announcement, she hadn’t competed in a race since February 2019 and her career on the slopes looked to be done.
If she wins a medal in Milan, she’ll add to an already-packed trophy case.
Vonn has won every major title across her 20-plus-year career, including four World Cup overall championships and three Olympic medals (one gold).
She also previously held the record for World Cup victories by a woman (82) before her mark was eclipsed by Mikaela Shiffrin in 2023.
This year will mark her fifth Olympic Games.
Vonn’s decision to continue racing with her injury comes with major risk, though.
Dr. James Giordano, a New Jersey-based orthopedic surgeon, told The Post on Wednesday that she could increase both short- and long-term damage in her knee.
Giordano added she’ll likely still have some knee instability — which Vonn added in her press conference is her biggest concern — due to the quick turnaround in Milan.
However, Vonn remains confident.
After working through multiple injuries during her career — such as a knee reconstruction, broken limbs and concussions — she said Tuesday her knee still feels much better than it has with past injuries.