Lindsey Vonn’s coach explains why she still has Winter Olympics medal hope despite ACL rupture

Lindsey Vonn will aim to win an Olympic medal just over a week after suffering an ACL injury

Aksel Lund Svindal (left) believes Lindsey Vonn can still win an Olympic medal (Marco Trovati/AP) (AP)

Lindsey Vonn’s coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, believes the American’s formidable mental strength will be key to overcoming recent injury woes and securing another Olympic medal in Sunday’s women’s downhill event in Cortina.

Vonn’s participation in the prestigious race had been cast into doubt after she ruptured her ACL during a World Cup event in Crans-Montana just over a week ago.

However, after successfully navigating a training run on Friday, Vonn returned to the slopes for a second practice session on Saturday. While her passage wasn't flawless, Svindal, an Olympic downhill champion himself, viewed it as a positive step.

"She was very calm when she came down. She talked about skiing and was calm and didn’t talk about the knee at all. And then I didn’t want to ask either, because I figured that’s a good sign," Svindal observed.

He added: "How I’ve learned to know her is when she’s calm it means she feels like she has it under control."

The coach acknowledged the challenge ahead: "She knows she’ll have to push harder tomorrow, because the rest of the girls will, and it’s the Olympic downhill. You’re not going to get away with a medal here unless you push hard."

Svindal believes Vonn’s mental strength will be key to her medal hopes (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

When questioned about Vonn’s physical condition, Svindal expressed cautious optimism.

"Good enough to win this race, hopefully. But her mental strength, I think that’s why she has won as much as she has," he stated.

He also highlighted her extensive experience: "And she also has some experience now, at 41 years old. I think that’s what she needs to bring out tomorrow."

Vonn, who was crowned downhill champion at Vancouver 2010, is aiming for further Olympic glory at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, which would mark a remarkable comeback.

She initially retired from the sport in 2019 following a series of injuries but, after undergoing a partial knee replacement in April 2024, made a competitive return in December of the same year.

This season, Vonn has already secured two World Cup victories and numerous podium finishes, positioning her as a strong contender before her recent fall in Switzerland.

With two training runs now completed, Svindal’s focus has shifted to race day.

"I’m different nervous (about) tomorrow. Yesterday, I was nervous that something would happen. Tomorrow, it’s race day. Obviously, you don’t want anything to happen to her, but you also want her to be fast," he explained.

"Yesterday was about, ‘please let this be OK’. Tomorrow is like, ‘let’s go and be fast’."

Breezy Johnson hopes Vonn’s gamble pays off (Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

While much attention will be on Vonn, her teammate Breezy Johnson, the reigning downhill world champion, also has her own history of injuries.

Commenting on Vonn’s Saturday run, Johnson noted, "I watched her knee cave in off one of those rollers and I think everybody kind of gasped a little bit."

She added, "I’m maybe the only person on this slope that’s ever actually raced it with a torn ACL, so I know it’s quite difficult off those jumps. I wish her the best and I’m glad she’s safe."

The field for Sunday’s downhill is highly competitive, with home favourite Sofia Goggia aiming for her third consecutive Olympic downhill medal after winning in Pyeongchang in 2018 and taking silver in Beijing.

German duo Emma Aicher and Kira Weidle-Winkelmann are also key contenders, alongside Switzerland’s Corinne Suter, who claimed victory four years ago.