Alpine skiing legend Lindsey Vonn returned to the Games after a break of almost six years.
The start of the international alpine skiing season has been spiced up by the returns of former tops.
Among them, the Norwegian who moved under the Brazilian flag has successfully returned Lucas Braathenwho was second in the giant slalom on Sunday.
One of the sport’s most successful athletes of all time Marcel Hirscher returned in the colors of his mother’s native Holland.
However, the 35-year-old Austrian said at the beginning of December that the season is completely over due to a knee injury. Before the injury, Hirscher’s performances were weak.
So does the USA, one of the legends of alpine skiing Lindsey Vonn raced last weekend for the first time since spring-winter 2019.
The 40-year-old speed skater competed at Copper Mountain in the USA in the second class of the sport, the FIS competition. Before that, he had last competed in the World Championships in Åre, Sweden.
Vonn’s rankings were a modest 24 and 27. He has stated that he is only looking for a competitive feel and testing his equipment at the FIS Games in question.
However, the goals of Vonn, who has returned to the US national team, are quite ambitious.
– I wouldn’t have returned to the national team if I didn’t have intentions to return to the World Cup, Vonn said of the New York Times by.
“Nothing Burns”
Lindsey Vonn has won everything possible in her career. Urheilu’s alpine skiing expert Kalle Palander doesn’t understand why Vonn wanted to come back.
Vonn has the third most World Cup victories (82) of all alpine skiers. His earthlings Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed her two years ago as the female alpine skier with the most World Cup first places.
Shiffrin is currently the all-time most successful athlete in the sport, including men, in the World Cup with 99 wins.
– I don’t think he thought he was going to challenge Shiffrin and catch a hundred wins. No matter how good he gets, he has nothing left Sofia Goggia and against other hard pacemakers. It just isn’t, Palanen knocks out.
The New York Times teased in its story that Vonn might be seen in 2026 in Milan-Cortina in her fifth Olympic Games of her career.
He has the Olympic gold in the skydiving from the Vancouver 2010 Games. From the World Championships, he has gold in both the plunge and the super giant slalom.
Artificial joint in the knee
So Vonn is 40 years old. Palander reminds that the plunge is an alpine sport where well-experienced athletes can do well.
Because of this fact, Vonn has small hopes.
– In addition, the level of women’s speed sports is miserable. There is only Goggia and a few others. It’s easier to get into the top 15. However, the FIS race showed that he has work to do.
Vonn has always kept herself physically in good shape. He originally quit because of knee problems.
Vonn now has a partial knee replacement.
– It cannot withstand a single fall. Otherwise, it will be scrapped, says Palander.
An important advertising face
Vonn has not said when she will be seen at the World Cup. For international alpine skiing, his return is a big deal.
Vonn is a well-known athlete outside of alpine skiing.
Johan Eliasch is the president of FIS (International Ski Federation). He wants to make better use of alpine skiing in the US market.
– FIS is pushing a lot of games to the United States at the moment. Levi and other Scandinavian competitions are a source of grief for them, although the Levi competition is really important to us, Palander reminds.
– Vonn is a big star in America. All these comebacks have been really great things. Column space has been obtained in the media, Palander adds.