When Lindsey Vonn returned to the slopes after five years, critics were quick to judge. Michaela Dorfmeister suggested she “should see a psychologist,” and Franz Klammer said she had “gone completely mad.” Still, Vonn fought her way back, looking like a medal contender, until a recent crash put her Olympic hopes in question. But Vonn isn’t ready to give up so easily.

Her fall not only placed her Olympics at risk but also the sports betting world. As the decentralized prediction marketplace FOREPredict reported, “The “Fairytale” premium just hit a wall…. Lindsey Vonn being airlifted days before the Winter Games is a brutal market correction. The public bet on the narrative, but physics had the final say.”

The betting community was on the edge of their seats, fans waited in suspense, and pundits questioned what this would mean for Team USA. But the uncertainty itself left no doubt with Vonn herself, who rebutted, “Physics had the final say? No, I have the final say,” on X.

The accident occurred on January 30, the last downhill race of the World Cup in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. Lindsey Vonn spun out of control after landing a jump and crashed into the safety netting, injuring her left knee in the process.

Vonn remained immobile for a few moments but soon received medical treatment, after which she hesitantly made her way back to the finish area. She was then swiftly airlifted away from the mountains to get fully evaluated.

The injury jeopardized her participation in the Olympics, which begin in less than a week, though Vonn remains determined. However, the drama is not over yet.

FOREPredict explained the impact on X, writing:  “The “Downhill Gold” market is now in chaos. The liquidity was chasing the star power; now it floods back to the field. The Trade: Volatility = Opportunity. The “Safe Money” shifts immediately to the European favorites who were overshadowed by the comeback hype.The Impact: Does Team USA’s medal count take a hit without its biggest star? Forecast the field.”

Vonn was not about to let her current situation or even the opinion of others determine her narrative, and history shows why.

Lindsey Vonn’s many comebacks

With one Olympic gold medal, two Olympic bronzes, and eight World Championship medals, Lindsey Vonn is one of the most successful U.S. alpine skier in history. But her career hasn’t been without challenges. She has faced 13 major injuries, yet each time she has come back stronger.

One of the most frightening experiences Vonn went through was in 2006 at the Turin Olympics, when she crashed during the downhill training session with a bruised thigh, sore pelvis, and sore back.

She was airlifted off the mountain, but still she returned to race in less than 48 hours. As she says, “It’s definitely weird going from the hospital bed to the start gate.”

Top Stories

How Much Prize Money Did Elena Rybakina Earn After Taxes for Winning the Australian Open 2026?

Elena Rybakina’s Coach Slammed as Australian Open Final Tension Boils Over: “So Gross”

Michael Strahan Confirms Stance on Retirement from FOX While Announcing Future Plans

Aryna Sabalenka Curses Team After Revealing Details of “Hysterical Moment” in Melbourne

NASCAR Weather Update: Sunday Race Cancelled at Bowman Gray as Mother Nature Wreaks Havoc in NC

Jeff Hoffman Hit With Bitter Snub as Blue Jays Told to Chase Dodgers’ World Series Champion

Even in 2010 at the Vancouver Games, Lindsey Vonn injured her right shin during pre-Olympic training. She barely had any downhill runs before the race. Even so, she won the only full training run she had and went on to take Olympic downhill gold, the first for an American woman in the event.

Now, 16 years later, after partial knee surgery (the main reason she retired in 2019), she’s back for her fifth and final Olympics. And if you think another injury could stop her, think again. After all, she hurt her left knee, not the one with the replacement.

As she wrote on Instagram afterward, “If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s a comeback. My Olympic dream is not over.”

This is exactly the kind of fearless racing that has defined her career: Lindsey Vonn doesn’t let age, pain, or setbacks stop her.