Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn doesn't rule out the 2030 games: 'I would only do it if I could be fast'
#Lindsey Vonn #2030 Olympics #alpine skiing #comeback #injury recovery #Winter Olympics #CNBC Sport #Milano Cortina 2026
📌 Key Takeaways
- Lindsey Vonn is considering a comeback for the 2030 Winter Olympics at age 45, contingent on her ability to perform at a high level.
- She is currently recovering from a severe crash at the 2026 Games that required multiple surgeries and ongoing rehabilitation.
- Vonn's decision depends entirely on her physical recovery, with one more surgery scheduled for later in 2026.
- A 2030 appearance would make her one of the oldest Olympic skiers in history, following a recent return from a five-year retirement.
📖 Full Retelling
Legendary American alpine skier Lindsey Vonn revealed in an interview with CNBC Sport on April 9, 2026, that she is not ruling out a potential comeback for the 2030 Winter Olympics, stating she would only compete if she could perform at a high competitive level. The 41-year-old Olympic gold medalist, currently recovering from a severe crash at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games, acknowledged the unprecedented nature of competing at age 45 but left the door open for one final chapter in her storied career.
Vonn's consideration hinges entirely on her physical recovery and future performance capability. She is still using crutches following the crash during her downhill run in February, which nearly cost her a leg, and expects to be walking unassisted by the end of April. The athlete has undergone five surgeries in the last two months and requires one more later this year to remove metal from her leg and repair a torn ACL. Her daily rehabilitation will ultimately determine if her body can withstand the demands of elite competition again.
The potential 2030 bid follows a remarkable return from a five-year retirement, which saw Vonn become the world's top-ranked downhill skier entering the 2026 Olympics. A victory in Cortina d'Ampezzo would have made her the oldest female downhill gold medalist. While her crash ended that attempt after just 13 seconds, Vonn expressed a clear desire for a different final act, stating, 'I don't want that to be the last run of my career.' If she were to compete in 2030, she would join an extremely rare group; 46-year-old Sarah Schleper competed in the Super-G for Mexico in February 2026, finishing 26th.
🏷️ Themes
Athletic Comeback, Sports Injury, Olympic Sports
📚 Related People & Topics
Winter Olympic Games
Major international multi-sport event
The Winter Olympic Games (French: Jeux olympiques d'hiver), also known as the Olympic Winter Games or simply the Winter Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held once every four years for sports practiced on snow and ice. The first Winter Olympic Games, the 1924 Winter Olympics, were...
Lindsey Vonn
American alpine skier (born 1984)
Lindsey Caroline Vonn (née Kildow ; born October 18, 1984) is an American alpine ski racer. She won four World Cup overall championships with titles in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012. Vonn won the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, the first one for an American woman.
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Connections for Winter Olympic Games:
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United States national team
9 shared
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Elana Meyers Taylor
7 shared
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Olympic medal
6 shared
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Alysa Liu
4 shared
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2026 Winter Olympics
3 shared
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Sign up today for the CNBC Sport Newsletter CNBC Sport Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn doesn't rule out the 2030 games: 'I would only do it if I could be fast' Published Thu, Apr 9 2026 6:30 AM EDT Alex Sherman @in/alex-sherman @sherman4949 Jessica Golden @JGolden5 WATCH LIVE Key Points Lindsey Vonn said she's not ruling out a return to the Olympics in 2030, when she'd be 45, telling CNBC Sport she would compete only if she could still perform at a high level. Competing as an Olympic skier at 45 would be rare but not unprecedented. The Olympic gold medalist is currently recovering from a severe crash and multiple surgeries, undergoing daily rehab as she considers whether her body can support one final chapter in her career. watch now VIDEO 0:49 00:49 Lindsey Vonn says she's open to 2030 Olympics run if her body can handle it CNBC Sport Lindsey Vonn is recovering from a crash that nearly cost the decorated alpine skier her leg, but Vonn said this week she's not ruling out a return to the Olympics in 2030, when she'd be 45 years old. In an interview with CNBC Sport, the Olympic gold medalist said she would consider making one final run at the 2030 Winter Olympics — if she can be competitive. "It's been done," Vonn said. "If I were to do it, I would only do it if I could be fast. But, I don't know, that's a long ways off. I would be 45 the next Olympics. That might be a little bit too much, but we'll see." Vonn said she's still using crutches following the crash during her first downhill run at the Milano Cortina Olympics in February. She said she expects to be walking unassisted by the end of April. But she still needs one more surgery later this year, she said, to take metal out of her leg from previous surgeries during the last two months — she's now had five — and to repair her ACL, which she tore in January, nine days before her Olympic run. USA's Lindsey Vonn takes part in the second official training for the women's downhill event ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Win...
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