Victim of Constant Hate, Lindsey Vonn Shuts Down Trolls With Bold Message After Latest Career Win at 40

Have you ever wondered what it takes to silence the naysayers and rise above relentless criticism? At the age of 40, Lindsey Vonn just gave us the answer. On March 23, 2025, the skiing legend capped off an improbable comeback season with a stunning second-place finish in the World Cup super-G finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. It wasn’t just a podium spot, her 138th, to be exact; it was a defiant statement to the doubters who’ve been hounding her all season. Vonn turned hate into fuel and delivered a masterclass in resilience.

After retiring in 2019 due to mounting injuries and undergoing a knee replacement in 2024, many figured her return to the World Cup circuit this winter was a long shot at best. But Lindsey Vonn didn’t just come back; she made a statement. “

It’s been a rough season of people saying that I can’t (compete at a high level), that I’m too old, that I’m not good enough anymore,” she told The Athletic after the race, “And I think I’ve proved everyone wrong.” That bold message wasn’t just for the trolls—it was a mic-drop moment for her after being told that she was finished. For months, Vonn has been dodging a barrage of negativity. You know the type—those keyboard warriors who love to tell athletes they’re past their prime, too old to compete, or just not cut out for it anymore. This wasn’t some fluke, either. Vonn’s journey back to the podium has been a rollercoaster of grit and guts. She kicked off her comeback in November, finishing 14th in a super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland, then notched a sixth in a downhill and a fourth in a super-G in St. Anton, Austria, earlier this year—all while tweaking her equipment and shaking off the rust of a five-year hiatus. Sure, there were crashes and doubters aplenty, but Sun Valley was where it all came together. Charging down the hill, she posted the second-best time in the third section and edged out Italy’s Federica Brignone to snag second behind Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami. At 40, she’s now the oldest woman ever to stand on a World Cup Alpine skiing podium. Take that, haters. What’s wild is how Vonn flipped the script on the negativity. Instead of letting it drag her down, she used it as rocket fuel. “I usually do better when the pressure is higher,” she said, and boy, did she deliver when it counted. The Sun Valley crowd roared as she crossed the finish line, tears streaming down her face—not just from exhaustion, but from the sheer joy of proving her point. This wasn’t just a win for her; it was a win for anyone who’s been knocked down and told to stay there. And for those trolls still typing away? Good luck finding a comeback to this one.

Lindsey Vonn is already plotting her next move, and if this season’s any indication, those doubters might want to start eating their words now. She’s got her eyes on the 2026 Olympics in Cortina, Italy—a place where she’s racked up a record 12 World Cup wins. Vonn’s story speaks loud and clear on its own. Can she keep shutting down the haters all the way to another Olympic gold?

Podium finish makes Lindsey Vonn confident about Milano Cortina 2026 Games

At age 40, the American ski icon thundered back onto the podium with her 138th podium finish, demonstrating that she still has the passion to race with the world’s elite. It wasn’t merely a victory over the clock; it was a declaration that her eyes were fixed on the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games.

Lindsey Vonn’s return season has been a rollercoaster ride. Following her 2019 retirement and a knee replacement in 2024, she returned this winter, confronting crashes, naysayers, and the burden of her own legend. But then came that Sun Valley super-G run, in which she was behind only Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami. “This season couldn’t have ended any better,” Vonn said to Olympics.com, smiling after her first podium in 2,565-plus days. At 40, she is the oldest woman to capture a World Cup Alpine skiing podium, and she shows no signs of slowing down.

“I still have what it takes,” she declared, her confidence building as she looked towards Cortina, where she has accumulated a record 12 World Cup victories. The pressure was on in Sun Valley, and Vonn thrived. “I have had very few opportunities in my life to race a speed event in the United States,” she noted, “and I think that also gives me confidence going to Cortina and knowing that I can perform when the pressure is high.” That experience—paired with her unmatched history on the Olympia delle Tofane slope—has her feeling “really optimistic” about qualifying for her fifth Olympics. “I will definitely be the oldest, but also the most experienced on that track,” she added.

For Vonn, this isn’t just about medals—it’s personal. “

I think this would definitely be the most meaningful Olympics of my career,” she said. With one year to go, that podium finish isn’t just a trophy—it’s a promise that she has made to herself.