Skier Lindsey Vonn says ACL is '100% gone' after crash, remains determined for Olympic downhill

Three-time Olympic medalist Lindsey Vonn discusses her plan to compete in the Winter Olympics despite rupturing her ACL. Sports medicine expert Dr. Rick Lehman assesses her chances and the risks involved, noting her mental toughness.

Olympic gold medalist and American alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn continued to defy the odds Friday when she completed her first women’s downhill training run just a week after she tore her ACL in a World Cup race.

Vonn, wearing the No. 10 bib and a brace on her left knee, successfully completed her run on a day when fog delayed skiers waiting for their turn at the famed Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

She did not appear to have any limitations during the training run, although she occasionally veered off course and almost missed some gates. Vonn made it down the 1.6-mile track in 1:40.33 and crossed the all-important finish line.

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Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women's downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre on Feb. 6, 2026, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.  (Eric Bolte/Imagn Images)

The 41-year-old champion skier, who holds a record of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina, including six in the downhill, looked aggressive in her first training session.

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An ACL tear typically sidelines an athlete for about a year, but Vonn remains determined to manage the injury and compete. She detailed the severity Friday, writing on X that the critical knee ligament was "100% gone."

Lindsey Vonn of the United States in women's downhill training during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games at