Lindsey Vonn 'feels amazing' as she eyes Olympic comeback at 40
LOS ANGELES - Lindsey Vonn, the American skier making a bid to get back to the Olympics at age 40, said Wednesday that her body felt better than it did seven years earlier when she last competed at the Games.
Vonn said a partial knee replacement last year had helped her overall fitness and enabled her to seek a spot on the U.S. ski team for the Milan-Cortina Olympics in February 2026.
"My body feels amazing," Vonn said at an event hosted by U.S. Olympics broadcaster NBCUniversal.
"Now that my knee is good again, I don't have any of the other problems," she added. "So my back's great. My body feels good. I feel better than I did in the last Olympics, by a lot actually."
Vonn, who boasts 82 World Cup wins and counts one gold among her three Olympic medals, had retired in February 2019.
In November 2024, Vonn announced she planned a comeback. She earned a second-place finish in the super-G at the Women's World Cup Finals in March.
"I have done everything I wanted to do in my career. This is not something that I ever expected," Vonn said of seeking to compete at the next Olympics.
"I'm going in looking to enjoy the experience, looking to be at a place that I love, that I've had a lot of success at," she added.
Climate change has prompted concerns about whether the Italian ski town of Cortina will have enough snow during the Games. Vonn said she was not worried about the conditions.
"Cortina has historically been so good at making a perfect racetrack, whether it's man-made or natural snow," she said. "No matter what the condition, it will be pristine. I am 100% sure of that."
American snowboarder Chloe Kim, who is chasing a third gold medal, also said she was preparing to handle any conditions.
"I've competed in blizzards, no snow, too much snow, windy, too warm where the snow gets really slushy and grippy," Kim said. "I've been doing this since I was four years old. Hopefully those skills will get me through." REUTERS
Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
an hour ago
- Straits Times
India's Rahul signals top-order readiness with warm-up hundred
LONDON - KL Rahul's composed hundred in the ongoing second unofficial test against England Lions will bring much relief to the India team management ahead of the five-test series in England. Partnering with Yashasvi Jaiswal at the top of the batting order, Rahul produced a chanceless knock of 116 in Northampton on a lively track in overcast conditions on Friday. India, under new captain Shubman Gill, have been left with gaping holes in their top order after opener Rohit Sharma and stalwart Virat Kohli quit test cricket last month. While Rahul, who can bat practically anywhere in the lineup, is likely to succeed Rohit as Jaiswal's opening partner, either Gill or Karun Nair is likely to fill the void of Kohli at number four. Nair, who played the last of his six tests in 2017, smashed a double hundred in the first unofficial test in Canterbury. "We haven't really decided on the (batting order), we still have some time," Gill had said in his pre-departure press conference in Mumbai. "We will be playing an intra-squad match and we will be having a 10-day camp in London. So we still have a little bit of time and I think we can decide on the batting order once we go there." The five-test series begins in Leeds on June 20. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
Jorginho leaves Arsenal, signs for Flamengo before Club World Cup
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Champions League - Round of 16 - Second Leg - Arsenal v PSV Eindhoven - Emirates Stadium, London, Britain - March 12, 2025 Arsenal's Jorginho applauds fans after the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge/File Photo REUTERS Italy midfielder Jorginho has joined Brazilian side Flamengo ahead of this month's Club World Cup, following a mutual termination of his contract with Arsenal, both clubs said. Jorginho, whose Arsenal deal was set to expire at the end of the month, has joined Flamengo on a contract until July 2028. The 33-year-old Brazil-born Italy international moved to North London from Chelsea in January 2023, making 78 appearances in all competitions for Arsenal. Arsenal finished second to champions Liverpool in the Premier League in the recently-concluded season. "We can confirm that we have reached a mutual agreement with Jorginho to end his contract with immediate effect to become a free agent," Arsenal said in a statement late on Friday. Having started his career at Italian side Hellas Verona before switching to Napoli in 2014, Jorginho won the Champions League, Europa League, Super Cup and Club World Cup titles during his time at Chelsea. Capped 57 times for Italy, he won the European Championship in 2020. "Jorginho's first assignment with Flamengo will be at the Club World Cup," the Brazilian Serie A club said. Flamengo will begin their Club World Cup campaign against Tunisian side ES Tunis on June 16 in Philadelphia. The expanded 32-team Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13 in the United States with $1 billion in prize money at stake. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
3 hours ago
- Straits Times
Trayvon Bromell scorches 100m as Beatrice Chebet shines at Rome Diamond League
Trayvon Bromell celebrates after winning the men's 100m event of the Diamond League meet in Rome on June 6. PHOTO: AFP ROME – American Trayvon Bromell admitted that he had the 'jitters', even as he set the fastest time over the 100m this season in 9.84 seconds at the Rome Diamond League on June 6. Bromell, a two-time world outdoor bronze medallist and 2016 world indoor champion, dominated the field, with compatriot Fred Kerley coming in fifth in 10.06sec. Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme (9.99sec) and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (10.01sec) rounded out the podium in the blue riband event. 'It is a blessing... I executed the race, it was a great feel,' said Bromell. 'It was definitely a lot of jitters, I'm not going to lie and say that the nerves weren't there. 'I did not know what to expect, but I just wanted to go and be the person that I know I am. I work hard so I don't expect anything but fast times and execution.' Kenya's Beatrice Chebet, who won Olympic golds in the 5,000 and 10,000m in Paris last summer, posted the second-fastest time of all time in the women's 5,000m, clocking 14:03.69 after a stunning solo breakaway at the Stadio Olimpico. It was just three seconds off Gudaf Tsegay's world record set in Eugene in 2023, the Ethiopian finishing third in the Italian capital as the field struggled with Chebet's kick four laps out from the finish. 'I was planning to run 14:15, but I felt like my body was moving and I decided to go,' said Chebet. 'So I see that my body is in a good shape and I am capable of of the world record. So now I am going home and will prepare for it. Everything is possible. If I get someone who will push me up to 3000, it is possible.' Another Olympic champion, Quincy Hall of the USA, held his nerve to claim victory in the men's 400m in 44.22sec, winning in a photo finish from fast-finishing South African Zakithi Nene. There was a first Diamond League win since 2022 for Sandi Morris in the women's pole vault, the American clearing 4.80m for the victory. 'Today is monumental for me on a personal level,' said Morris, a three-time world silver medallist. 'I have been fighting with problems with my shoulder so I have to keep the volume of jumps lower. I really wanted to keep jumping but I also listen to my goals.' There was, however, no glory for Gianmarco Tamberi in the men's high jump in front of his adoring fans. The joint 2020 Olympic gold medallist, also the current European and world champion, bombed out at a lowly 2.16m in a competition won by South Korea's Woo Sang-hyeok, with a best of 2.32m. AFP Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
