Lindsey Vonn's Comeback Is Winning 40-Something Fans. Can She Win Gold?
What the people found irresistible was Vonn's new folk-hero status in the modern phenomenon of the aging professional athlete. And they felt a kinship with her ongoing quest.
'They were my age, and they'd say, 'I'm so proud you're trying again,' or, 'We're with you all the way,' ' Vonn said in an interview last week from Park City, Utah, where the United States ski team is based. 'That's when I knew this comeback wasn't about sports, and it was definitely more than just about me. It's about changing perspectives and setting a new standard for what it means to be older and an athlete. Especially if you're a woman.'
Foremost on Vonn's 2026 calendar will be the Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, which begin Feb. 6 in Italy. If she stays healthy, Vonn is expected to compete for the American team in one or both of the most dangerous events: the downhill and super-G, where racing speeds reach 70 miles an hour.
That inherent peril is one reason that Vonn's comeback last season shocked even those in the daredevil world of elite ski racing. Some former colleagues from Europe called her 'crazy' and suggested that she see a psychologist. But Vonn, whose return was made possible by a partial knee replacement in 2024, finished in the top 10 of three World Cup races, and was the runner-up in her final competition in March. Similar results this season, or even a notch or two below that level, would place Vonn high enough in a points ranking system that she would qualify for the United States Olympic team.
Vonn, who turns 41 in October, will probably be the oldest athlete on the American Olympic team next year in any discipline, and if she is successful, she would be the oldest ski racer, man or woman, ever to win a medal.
Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Report – Inter Milan Eyeing Up Roma Midfielder As Talks For Atalanta Talisman Stall
Inter Milan are reportedly considering a move for Roma midfieleder Manu Kone with talks for Ademola Lookman at a standstill. This according to Italian broadcaster Sky Sport Italia, via FCInterNews. They report that the Nerazzurri may change their strategy if they're unable to sign Lookman. Inter Milan have been trying to sign for a better part of a month now. However, as Sky Sport Italia note, there have been no contacts between the Nerazzurri and Atalanta for a week now. Therefore, Inter now feel that their pursuit of Lookman has completely stalled. Inter Eye Up Roma Midfielder Kone As Lookman Pursuit Stalls LECCE, ITALY – MARCH 29: Manu Kone of AS Roma celebrates the victory after the Serie A match between Lecce and AS Roma at Stadio Via del Mare on March 29, 2025 in Lecce, Italy. (Photo by) In the meantime, Inter are considering a change in strategy, reports Sky Sport Italia. The Nerazzurri have been very happy with the performances by Ange-Yoan Bonny and Francesco Pio Esposito in training. Furthermore, Inter have plenty of midfielders who can play in an attacking midfield role. These include Davide Frattesi, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Piotr Zielinski, Hakan Calhanoglu, and Nicola Zalewski. Therefore, Inter may well have enough options to fill the attacking position in Cristian Chivu's 3-4-2-1 formation. On the other hand, there are persistent doubts about whether the Nerazzurri have enough defensive steel and athleticism in holding midfield. Therefore, reports Sky Sport Italia, Inter could instead shift gears to target Roma midfielder Manu Kone.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lyles v Thompson in re-run of Olympic 100m final in Silesia
Olympic champion Noah Lyles will renew his rivalry with Jamaica's Kishane Thompson when the pair take to the track for what promises to be a 100m race to remember at the Diamond League meet in Chorzow on Saturday. As athletes continue to fine-tune their form ahead of September's world championships in Tokyo, Lyles headlines a raft of stars from track and field on show in southwest Poland. Here, AFP Sport looks at four talking points at the 12th meeting of the 15-event Diamond League circuit at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial in Silesia: - Lyles v Thompson in Paris rematch - Lyles sealed Olympic gold in the blue riband event in Paris last year by the closest of margins, pipping Thompson by just five-thousandeths of a second for victory. It remained a remarkable result for the Jamaican, who missed the cut for the 2023 world championships in Budapest. This year, however, he clocked a world-leading 9.75sec at the Jamaican trials in June, a time which puts him sixth on the all-time list. Lyles will be keen to bounce back after his surprise 100m defeat to another Jamaican, Oblique Seville, at the London Diamond League meet. The American will have to compete not just with Thompson, but also a quartet of tested US teammates in the shape of Kenny Bednarek, Christian Coleman, Lindsey Courtney and Trayvon Bromell, as well as South African Akani Simbine. There is some added spice after Lyles and Bednarek clashed in the US trials after the former won the 200m in a world lead time of 19.63sec. Bednarek accused Lyles of "unsportsmanlike" conduct after he turned his head to stare down his rival as he took the tape. - Coleman and Richardson on the card - While Coleman bids to upset Lyles, also running in the women's 100m is his partner Sha'Carri Richardson, the reigning world champion and Olympic silver medallist. Richardson found herself in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after being arrested for domestic violence after shoving Coleman at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last month. Both competed days later at the US championships in Eugene, Oregon, where Coleman, who reportedly did not press charges, said she should not have been arrested. Richardson duly apologised, saying that she held herself "accountable". The women's 100m sees the presence of Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who won a sprint double at the US trials, as well as Briton Dina Asher-Smith and the Jamaican Clayton twins, Tina and Tia. - Unstoppable Duplantis - Armand 'Mondo' Duplantis bettered his pole vault world record by a centimetre on Tuesday, clearing 6.29 metres in Budapest. It was the US-born Swede's 13th time he had set a world record as he soared over the bar at the second attempt to improve on his 6.28m from Stockholm in June. He first broke the world record in 2020 with 6.17m. It was also the 25-year-old's third record of 2025 having initially raised the bar to 6.27m in Clermont-Ferrand in February. His rivals in Poland will be hoping for a rare off-day to get anywhere near topping the podium given that at last year's Diamond League meeting in Silesia, it was none other than Duplantis who stole the headlines with a then-world record of 6.26m. - Kipyegon eyes WR, Chebet races 1500m - Kenya's Faith Kipyegon will have a tilt at a world record in the 3,000m, a non-Olympic event. Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic gold medallist over 1,500m, has an incredible track record. Her new 1,500m world record of 3:48.68 in the Eugene Diamond League was her fifth at a Diamond League met in the last three seasons. The Kenyan came up short in her specially arranged attempt in June to become the first woman to smash through the four-minute barrier, clocking 4min 06.42sec in Paris. Kipyegon's teammate Beatrice Chebet will instead race the 1,500m, her first over the distance since 2023 and her first ever time at a Diamond League. Chebet has notched up three victories over 5,000m on the circuit this season, but it remains to be seen whether she'll have the speed over the shorter distance against a field that includes Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell and Ethiopian duo Gudaf Tsegay and Diribe Welteji. lp/ea
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
‘Angry' Michael Phelps has dire warning for USA swimming
Decorated United States swimmer Michael Phelps called out USA Swimming yet again, this time going into great detail about his belief the program is declining. Phelps posted a lengthy, five-page statement on Instagram, doubling down on his call for action within the organization. 'I've watched too many teammates struggle to compete in a sport they love without the support they need,' Phelps wrote. 'I've also seen the sport struggle to return its membership numbers to pre-pandemic levels, and I'm done pretending this system works just because it produces medals. 'Swimming, to me, was always about more than just medals – it's supposed to be an environment that builds champions in and out of the pool. As a Dad to four young boys, it pains me to say that I'm not sure if I'd want my sons to be a part of this sport at a competitive level. Yes, swimming changed my life, but it also caused a lot of heartache, and its current state makes me both sad and angry.' Phelps began his post by clarifying that he wasn't calling out the actual swimmers in the organization with his initial critique, but rather leadership outside the pool. He pointed out the team's decline in performance, saying Team USA won just 44% of medals at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the lowest mark for the United States since 1988. Gold medallist Michael Phelps of the U.S. (R) and silver medallist and compatriot Ryan Lochte hold their medals during the men's 200m individual medley victory ceremony during the London 2012 Olympic Games. REUTERS And while Phelps referenced money as being a factor in USA Swimming's decline, he accused the organization of 'poor operational controls and weak leadership.' Phelps didn't point the finger without offering himself and certain recommendations as solutions. First, he vowed he would be a resource for USA Swimming. 'My door is open and there is work to be done,' he wrote. He also recommended that USA Swimming hold an independent review of the entire organization. He believes an athletes-first mentality needs to be adopted to support swimmers competing at the highest level. At the same time, offering support to those young swimmers to reach that level is imperative in his eyes. USA's Michael Phelps celebrates after he won the Men's 200m Butterfly Final during the swimming event at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. AFP via Getty Images Phelps' initial post was about former Team USA swimmer Ryan Lochte, a teammate of his during his Olympic gold-medal days. Lochte had sent an image where a funeral was being held for USA Swimming, with Phelps asking if the 2025 World Championships would be a 'wake-up call' for the organization. Team USA tallied nine gold medals at the World Championships, which led all countries involved in the pool. They had 29 total medals, which was also first among participating nations. Phelps is one of the best Olympians, let alone swimmers, of all time. He collected 23 gold medals over his illustrious career, which remains an Olympic record.
