The US Ski and Snowboard Federation has included Lindsey Vonn in the national team for the upcoming season, even though the legendary athlete is still recovering from a serious injury. The 41-year-old American is among 17 athletes selected for the elite “A“ team of the USA.
However, Vonn's presence in the team does not mean that she will return to competitions soon. The skier continues her rehabilitation after a serious fall in the Olympic downhill in February in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
At the end of April, the American announced that she would not be able to participate in starts before the 2027/2028 season. She will undergo another operation in November, in which doctors will remove the metal implant from her leg and repair the torn cruciate ligament.
“After my cruciate ligament is operated on, it will take another six months“, Vonn explained.
The long recovery period means that the American legend will also miss the world championships in Switzerland next year.
Despite the serious obstacles, the possibility of Vonn returning to professional sports remains open. The International Ski Federation (FIS) has already confirmed that if she decides to compete again, she will receive a special invitation and a guaranteed place in the starting lineup.
Lindsey Vonn has 84 World Cup victories and is among the most successful athletes in the history of alpine skiing. In the serious accident in the Olympic downhill, she suffered a complex fracture of her left tibia and underwent several operations. The American later revealed that thanks to timely medical intervention, she avoided amputation of her leg.
Her inclusion in the national team shows that the possibility of a future return remains on the agenda, although at this stage recovery is her main priority.