On February 8 in Milan, Lindsey Vonn saw her Olympic farewell collapse in an instant. A high-speed crash at what she called her “last Olympics” left her with a serious knee injury that required at least five surgeries. “It will take months before she can walk normally again,” orthopedic surgeon Dr Bertrand Sonnery-Cottet said at the time. Just three months later, she surprised many by appearing at the 2026 Met Gala without crutches, though she still needed some support on the stairs. Now it looks like that wasn’t the last of her public appearances.

On June 7, Vonn arrived at the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo as a guest of Oracle Red Bull Racing for Formula One’s most iconic street race. She stood out in a white bandeau top paired with high-waisted trousers, moving through the paddock with ease under the Mediterranean sun. A green floral scarf draped over her shoulders, while a Red Bull cap completed a look that felt simple and composed.

What caught the most attention, however, was not her outfit but her movement. Vonn walked through the paddock without crutches or assistance, a quiet but powerful sign of how far she has come since her injury.

She spent time inside the Red Bull garage, speaking with team members and taking in the pre-race atmosphere. The connection runs deep, with Vonn having been associated with the brand for years. On July 15 last year, she marked the twentieth anniversary of that partnership. She wrote on Facebook:

“WOW!!! 20 Years with @redbull – time has literally flown by!! 🤯🤩 What a journey… I remember signing with Red Bull back in 2005 as a 20-year-old who was just getting started…. It was a leap of faith for myself and the company but I believed in them and they believed in me. Throughout everything – the good times and the bad – they’ve supported me every step of the way. I only wish Dietrich could be here to celebrate and see this final chapter of my career. Thank you for always giving me wiiiings @redbull 🪽🫶🏻”

The Alpine skier was not the only celebrity at Monaco. The paddock was full of big names, including Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Olivia Wilde, Cynthia Erivo, Olivier Giroud, Donald Trump Jr., Bettina Anderson, and Michael Douglas with Catherine Zeta-Jones, and more.

At the same event, French skier Matthieu Bailet was also present, and Vonn was seen spending time with him. It added to the unconfirmed rumours about their dating each other after they were spotted together on different occasions. Meanwhile, it turned out to be a strong day for Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who finished third behind Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, while Max Verstappen did not finish the race.

Overall, Vonn’s recovery journey seems on track, just 4 months after her crash, which was extremely serious. She suffered a complex tibia fracture, major ligament damage, and compartment syndrome, where swelling can cut off blood flow to the leg. She needed emergency surgery and multiple operations in Italy and the United States, with doctors first focused on saving her leg and basic movement before anything else.

But now, seeing her recovery up close, the big question is what comes next. Will she make a comeback to competitive skiing again?

Lindsey Vonn’s future in skiing remains uncertain

When Vonn announced her return in late 2024, not many expected her to reach an Olympic level again. But she never gave up on the sport even after sustaining injuries over the years and undergoing surgery to repair her knee. Now with her 2026 wreck, it all seems even murkier, and she doesn’t seem to be rushing to make any decisions.

“I just don’t want to jump to any conclusions or even speculate on what I might do,” she said. “I may retire. I may never race again, and that would be completely fine, but I’m not in a position emotionally to make that decision at this point.”

From a physical standpoint, Vonn still faces a long road ahead. She is expected to undergo another procedure to rebuild her ACL, and recovery from that surgery alone can take many months.

“Nothing would really happen until ’27-’28,” she explained. “Once I get my ACL fixed, then that’s another six months, so I have at least a year and a half ahead of me before I could really be back to 100%, even just training in the gym.”

According to Dr. Alejandro Posada from the Jackson Health System, a typical ACL reconstruction surgery demands 6 to 12 months of recovery and physical therapy before returning to high-impact sports. For elite athletes like Lindsey Vonn, becoming fully “fixed” requires rebuilding muscular strength, which can take 8 to 12 months to safely reach full joint stability.

At this stage, nothing is confirmed. She has not officially retired again, but she has also not committed to a return. Instead, she has made it clear that she needs time before deciding whether she will race again. For now, a comeback is still possible in theory, but whether it becomes reality remains to be seen.