Lindsey Vonn is preparing to compete in Tarvisio, Italy, continuing her quest for the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Games. Her comeback to the prestigious event is highly anticipated, yet ahead of this key World Cup weekend, a seemingly small incident in a parking lot revealed her connection with her skiing kits.

On X, the 41-year-old Olympic star made an emotional public appeal to fans, saying, “Someone took my pole in the parking lot today in Tarvisio. If you have seen it please respond to this. Thank you.” The request for a single piece of equipment might have seemed minor to an outsider, but for Vonn, it was important.

One fan questioned the urgency, noting, “Kristoffersen destroys them in Adelboden and still has plenty left, and you have a problem if you’re missing just one? Don’t you have several of them? Or does it have to be that exact one because of some superstition???” She immediately replied, “They are 10 years old. They are special to me.”

The poles that might seem like normal skiing equipment to a random person are beyond just tools for someone like Vonn. These are relics that have become companions through a chapter of her life marked by both success and failure. The fans’ question about pros destroying poles comes after Henrik Kristoffersen broke his poles after a podium in the slalom in Adelboden.

When asked about it, the Norwegian skier said, “I’m happy with 3rd place. But I’m not happy with everything. But that’s skiing. We always try to do our best. That’s how it goes…I’ll keep that to myself.” While he didn’t reveal the reason behind breaking his ski poles, for Lindsey Vonn, her ski equipement are closer to her heart. And yes, losing them was tough.

Since the American skier mentioned that she had them for 10 years, those ski poles saw her final years before her retirement in 2019. But it also saw her comeback in 2024, making them a relic for her. Before heading to the World Cup in Tarvisio, the 41-year-old revealed how she had to take a certain risk to secure a victory in Zauchensee.

Lindsey Vonn’s 84th World Cup victory came only because of her taking this risk

In Zauchensee, Lindsey Vonn won her 84th career World Cup, and it marked her second downhill victory in the current season, showcasing that she still has that competitive edge in her. But for this win, she had to go for a high-risk, high-reward strategy.

“The coaches were a little bit hesitant on going that tight, because it’s really easy to go too straight and then you’re in trouble. In general I thought the speeds were pretty low, so that’s why I felt I was able to take the risk,” she said.

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Furthermore, the 41-year-old opened up about her mentality in the race, saying, “I felt within myself, I didn’t feel like I was doing anything crazy, but definitely it was a much different line than everyone else was taking, and that’s why I was able to ski a little bit faster than the rest.”

So, the heavy snow in Zauchensee caused the race to be shortened by the officials, and it also forced Friday’s second practice run to be canceled, giving no time for the athletes to adapt. However, Vonn was the one to take the right calls.

“I honestly thought with my start number I had no chance because there’s so much snow and there wasn’t really a track at number six. I thought I had to risk a lot with my line to really stay in the hunt, so I just swung really hard. I’m happy with the way I executed. I think that’s the most important thing I’m taking away from today,” Vonn said post-race.

While a single mistake could’ve caused a major crash and could’ve easily ended her Olympic dreams, Vonn took the risk and achieved the well-deserved 84th World Cup win.