Lindsey Vonn is trying to end her career on her own terms. After retiring due to a knee injury, Vonn announced her return to skiing, with the hopes of making one more Olympic run. She inched closer to a storybook ending Sunday, medaling in her first event since 2018, and breaking a record in the process.
Vonn took home the silver medal in the super giant slalom, or super-G, event at the World Cup Finals on Sunday. It marked the first time Vonn medaled since her return to the sport.
After a strong run, Vonn knew she had a shot at medaling, throwing her hands up in the air as the crowd in Idaho gave her a huge ovation.
AN INCREDIBLE RUN FOR LINDSEY VONN. 🙌🇺🇸
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 23, 2025
In what is likely her final race on US snow, she finishes ON THE PODIUM in second place at the Stifel Sun Valley World Cup Finals women's super-G! pic.twitter.com/EF5YIVL4cU
With the medal, Vonn, 40, became the oldest woman to finish on the podium at a World Cup event. She finished +1.29 behind Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami, who won the event.
Lindsey Vonn hoping for Olympics return
It's an encouraging step forward for Vonn, who is hoping to make one more Olympic run before retiring for good. Vonn, one of the most decorated skiers in the history of the sport, announced her return to skiing in November after undergoing a knee replacement. Vonn, who retired from the spot in 2019 due to knee pain, said she was free of pain following the surgery, leading to her comeback.
Vonn, who is fighting to compete at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, said her podium win Sunday did a lot prove she still has something left in the tank, per The Guardian.
Vonn says she hopes to race for Team USA at next year’s Winter Olympics before retiring for good. “It’s been a rough season of people saying that I can’t, that I’m too old, that I’m not good enough anymore. I think I proved everyone wrong,” Vonn, who has three Olympic medals to her name, said on Sunday.
If Vonn is able to accomplish her goal, it would mark the fifth time she's competed in Olympics. Vonn competed at the games in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2018. She took home a gold medal in downhill at the 2010 games. Vonn also took home a bronze medal in the super-G that year and won another bronze in the downhill event in 2018.
Vonn still has a long way to go if she wants to make the 2026 Olympic team, but Sunday's podium finish offered hope she can still close out her career on her own terms.
