The Japan Times - Lindsey Vonn completes second downhill training session

A ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee did not stop Vonn from clocking a time of one minute and 38.28 seconds in a confident run down the Olimpia delle Tofane piste in Cortina d'Ampezzo, which will host the women's alpine skiing starting with the downhill final on Sunday morning.

The 41-year-old Vonn -- Olympic downhill champion in 2010 -- would have been among those tipped for gold in her favoured discipline had she not suffered a shocking injury a week before the official start of the 2026 Winter Games.

Vonn's presence at these Olympics was already a huge achievement before her injury as she roared back from retirement in November 2024 to re-establish herself as the premier woman downhill skier in her early 40s.

For context, Vonn is the oldest woman to win an Olympic medal in her sport, a record she established with bronze in the downhill at her last Winter Games in Pyeongchang eight years ago.

Her rivals and coach Aksel Lund Svindal, himself a two-time Olympic gold winner, have lauded Vonn's iron will which is allowing her to not just compete but aim for a fourth medal at the Winter Games with an injury that would have taken out most athletes.

A brace is helping to stabilise Vonn's left knee which also suffered bone bruising -- she claimed the meniscus damage could have already been there -- during a heavy crash in the last World Cup downhill race in Switzerland before the world's top women alpine skiers decamped to Cortina in the Italian Dolomites.

Local favourite Sofia Goggia, who won gold and silver in the downhill at the last two Olympics, was 0.49sec behind Vonn after a bumpy run in which at one point she had to recover while powering down the slope on one ski.

Germany's rising star Emma Aicher, who at 22 years old has blossomed into a leading medal contender at the 2026 Games, timed 1:38.75.

This time last year all-rounder Aicher had never claimed a World Cup podium, but she has since taken eight in three disciplines -- downhill, super-G and slalom.

In 2026 she has five podiums and two wins in Tarvisio (super-G) and St.Moritz (downhill), both ahead of Vonn in second.

Y.Ishikawa--JT