• Lindsey Vonn completed a full training run at Cortina’s Olympia delle Tofane despite recently tearing her left ACL.
  • Coach Aksel Lund Svindal said Vonn looked symmetrical and believes she “can win” the Olympic downhill on Sunday.
  • Vonn skied the 1.6-mile course in 1:40.33, showed a few slips but crossed the line without apparent knee issues.
  • The 41-year-old, returned from retirement, says she will be in the starting gate for the women’s downhill.

H2: Vonn finishes training run after ACL injury

Lindsey Vonn skied a full training run on Friday at the Olympia delle Tofane in Cortina d’Ampezzo even after announcing a torn ACL in her left knee following a crash last week in Crans-Montana. Under bright midday sun, Vonn completed the 1.6-mile track in 1 minute, 40.33 seconds. She took aggressive lines, clipped a few gates and had a couple of slips off course, but she crossed the finish line and left the area under her own power.

H3: Coach: she can still win

Aksel Lund Svindal, Vonn’s coach and Olympic downhill gold medalist, watched her run and said she looked “symmetrical” and capable. “You’ve seen earlier this season when she skis well, she can win,” he said, adding that it will be hard but that Vonn has a chance on Sunday. Team staff, doctors and Vonn’s physiotherapist observed her closely for any sign of pain or an unnatural movement that would indicate the knee was failing.

H3: What happened and what’s next

Vonn tore her ACL in a crash in Crans-Montana last week, an injury that often sidelines athletes for months or longer. Vonn — 41 and on a comeback after partially replacing her right knee in 2024 — has said she intends to race. Her team reported no significant swelling in the injured knee by Friday, a factor that encouraged medical staff.

She posted a training video this week showing heavy barbell squats in the gym, a signal of the aggressive rehabilitation she has pursued since the crash. Vonn has told teammates and reporters she will be in the starting gate for Sunday’s women’s downhill, and she remained upbeat and calm during Friday’s session.

H4: Scene at the course

Fog delayed the session and briefly halted training, but Vonn kept her routine: visualization, rotating her hips and shoulders, and staying loose. After her run she greeted teammates — including Breezy Johnson — and spent time chatting in the finish area. Teammates described the course as punchy after fresh snowfall, with bigger jumps and tighter transitions.

Video: Lindsey Vonn’s 44-second training run (embedded in original report)

H5: The stakes

The women’s Olympic downhill is scheduled for Sunday. If Vonn lines up, she will be pursuing a second Olympic downhill gold and completing a dramatic comeback story. Her coach and team said they will monitor her closely, taking it one step at a time, but Friday’s run gave them reason for cautious optimism.

For now, Vonn’s crossing of the finish line is the immediate milestone: a sign that the 41-year-old remains determined to race and that, at least for the moment, her injured knee is holding up.

Image Referance: https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/7026802/2026/02/06/lindsey-vonn-olympics-downhill-torn-acl-training/