Is Lindsey Vonn retiring from skiing? What to know about future of 41-year-old USA Olympic star

Lindsey Vonn is one of the most well-known American skiers, and that is because of how long she has been competing. 

The 41-year-old skier first competed at the skiing World Cup in 2000 when she was 16 years old. She has competed in the Olympics five times and has medaled three times. 

Given her age and the physical requirements of the sport, Vonn temporarily retired from alpine skiing from 2019 to 2024. She then competed at the 2025 World Championships and World Cup before qualifying for the 2026 Winter Games. Vonn's message was strong, but she suffered a bad injury in a pre-Olympics tune-up, tearing her ACL. 

The veteran skier still opted to go to the Olympics and competed in her downhill event she is known for. Unfortunately, she suffered another bad fall and fractured her leg. The injuries, plus her age has many wondering if her skiing career will officially be over. 

Here is more on whether Vonn is going to retire from skiing. 

MORE 2026 OLYMPICS: Live medal tracker | Viewer's guide | Day-by-day schedule

Is Lindsey Vonn retiring from skiing?

Vonn herself has not yet confirmed if she will be retiring from skiing. It is obvious that she would not want to go out this way, but the reality is that she is 41 years old, and just suffered two severe leg injuries. Her father was asked about her status, and he said, "She’s 41 years old, and this is the end of her career. There will be no more ski races for Lindsey Vonn, as long as I have anything to say about it.”

It sounds like Vonn's father has his way, she will be done, but the veteran skier has a tendency to want to defy the odds, so for now, until she officially announces her own retirement, there is a chance she will try to compete at the 2030 Olympics, despite her nearing the age of 45 at that time.

What happened to Lindsey Vonn?

In a tune-up before the Olympics, Vonn crashed and tore her ACL. To the shock of many, she still said her plan was to ski in the Olympics. She made it to the event, but only 13 seconds into her downhill run, she lost control and crashed again. This time, she fractured her tibia and again had to be helped by medical personnel off the mountain. 

MORE: Lindsey Vonn crashes during first Olympic run, fracturing leg

Lindsey Vonn crash details

Approximately 13 seconds into her downhill run, Vonn's pole collided with a flag at high velocity, resulting in a loss of control and a brutal fall. The race was suspended for over 10 minutes while medical personnel provided assistance on the course. Vonn was heard audibly screaming out in pain in an incredibly emotional and brutal scene to see. 

"She'll be OK, but it's going to be a bit of a process," Anouk Patty, chief of sport for U.S. Ski and Snowboard, said in a statement to ESPN. "This sport's brutal, and people need to remember when they're watching [that] these athletes are throwing themselves down a mountain and going really, really fast."

This incident transpired merely nine days after Vonn disclosed that she was competing with a completely ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in her left knee.

BREAKING: 🇺🇸 Lindsey Vonn suffers catastrophic crash during #Olympics downhill run. She would be airlifted to a helicopter 🚁 after 10 minutes on the course. pic.twitter.com/Txkx8dWA9l

Lindsey Vonn statement

Vonn posted to her Instagram after the crash detailing what happened. She mentioned that her Olympic dream had ended, but she still didn't mention if she is retiring from the sport. 

Lindsey Vonn surgeries

Vonn noted in her post on social media that she sustained a "complex tibia fracture." And this is of course in addition to the torn ACL she sustained before the Olympics. Vonn confirmed that the injury will require "multiple surgeries" to fix properly. 

On Feb. 11, Vonn shared that she had undergone her third surgery, which was successful. She did not share any details about her future plans, but wrote that "I’m making progress and while it is slow,  I know I’ll be ok."

Lindsey Vonn injury history

Vonn has a substantial history when it comes to injuries. They have ranged from mild to severe.

MORE: How old is Lindsey Vonn?

Lindsey Vonn medal count

If Vonn's career is indeed over, she will finish with three Olympic medals to her name. She has won one gold medal and two bronze medals. The gold medal came at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics in the Downhill event.

Vonn took bronze in the Super-G event in 2010 in Vancouver and then also at the Downhill event at the 2018 Olympics in PyeongChang.