Lindsey Vonn in tears over devastating moment for her skiing career | Other | Sport

Lindsey Vonn is likely to lose her No.1 downhill skier ranking after addressing fans in a lengthy social media post. The 41‑year‑old saw her hopes of winning the Winter Olympic title end abruptly when she suffered a serious leg injury just 13 seconds into her women’s downhill run in Milano‑Cortina last month. She could be heard crying out in pain as medics rushed to her aid before she was airlifted to hospital.

Vonn spent several weeks in an Italian hospital receiving treatment and underwent four surgeries before returning home to the United States, where her recovery has continued. Throughout her recovery, she has kept followers updated on social media, documenting each stage of her rehabilitation. In her latest post, Vonn suggested she is now likely to lose her position as the world’s No.1 downhill skier.

“Well… I’ve had the red leader bib from the first race of the season until now, but in all likelihood tomorrow will be my last day as #1,” she wrote.”At the beginning of the season, no one would have ever believed I would be even close to this position. And I bet people would have laughed if it was even suggested. But winning the title was my goal… and I came painfully close to achieving it. I’m not one to talk about things I’ve achieved but in this instance I feel I need to, maybe more to remind myself than anything else… I was on the podium of every single downhill race, including 2 wins.

“I clawed my way back to #1 in the world after being retired for 6 years with a partial knee replacement and that alone was an incredible achievement I won’t ever forget. Even though in a few days no one will remember that I almost won the season title, I will remember. I didn’t want to win the title to prove anything to anyone. I did it because I knew I could. I just wish I had a chance to fight until the end to try and get it…

Vonn continued: “However, as I sit here I have to reflect and wonder; why does a title mean so much to me? Why am I crying over a crystal trophy? It’s because skiing has always been the thing I love to do most in this world. It has always brought me incredible joy, especially this season. But what I am realising is that not having one more title doesn’t make this season less extraordinary. It doesn’t take away the joy I had standing in the starting gate or crossing the finish line and seeing #1 next to my name. It doesn’t take away from the incredible time I had with my team and team-mates. Singing and dancing with fans and kids in the stadium.

“Those memories aren’t washed away because of a title. My tears just mean I care. I always have. That’s why I work so hard. Skiing is my passion. Whether I’ll ever be able to do it again is yet to be seen. But at least I have the memories, with or without a title, I feel privileged to have had this adventure. Wherever this path leads I will find my way. I always do. Skiing is what I love to do but it’s not who I am. There are so many reasons to be happy. So much to be thankful for. Thank you all for coming on this journey with me.”

The American Olympic legend initially retired from alpine skiing in 2019 before making a stunning comeback in December 2024. She entered this year’s Milan Games as the hot favourite for gold.

This week, Vonn shared a photo of herself back in training just four weeks after the accident. She shared footage of herself in the gym lifting weights, and also uploaded a video showing she can now bear weight on her injured leg.