Nearly eight years after her last Olympic appearance and five years after stepping away from competition, 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn has officially qualified to represent the United States at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. Team USA confirmed Vonn’s selection Tuesday following a surge of strong results on the World Cup circuit.

Team USA and Vonn announced in a joint post on Instagram: “OLYMPICS, HERE WE COME!! I have officially qualified for the Olympics in Cortina!!! @teamusa I am honored to be able to represent my country one more time, in my 5th and final Olympics! When I made the decision to return to ski racing, I always had one eye on Cortina because it’s a place that is very, very special to me. Although I can’t guarantee any outcomes, I can guarantee that I will give my absolute best every time l kick out of the starting gate. No matter how these games end up, I feel like I’ve already won. I am grateful for how the season has gone so far, but I am just getting started. See you in Cortina!! ”

Vonn’s path back to elite competition was made possible by a knee replacement in 2024, which restored the strength and mobility needed to race at the highest level.  Her return was validated earlier this month in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where she captured her first World Cup victory in almost six years, earning the points needed to secure an Olympic berth. Her downhill win in St. Moritz was historic, making Vonn the oldest skier to win a World Cup race. She followed that performance with consecutive third-place finishes in downhill and super-G, including a super-G run in France where she reached speeds of 71 mph. The podium result marked the 142nd of her World Cup career.  In total over the past two weeks, Vonn has reached the podium four times across races in St. Moritz and Val d’Isère, France. Vonn told The Athletic, “I’m definitely very excited with how things are going… It’s been a pretty great couple weeks.”

The skiing icon retired in 2019 with 82 World Cup wins – the most by any woman at the time. Vonn has since added another victory, bringing her total to 83. Her Olympic résumé includes a gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Games and bronze medals in super-G (2010) and downhill (2018). She also owns seven World Championship medals and multiple FIS Crystal Globes.

The location of the 2026 Games proved to be the motivation for Vonn’s return to Olympic competition.  Cortina d’Ampezzo, which will host the women’s alpine events, is one of Vonn’s most successful venues, where she has earned 12 World Cup victories. Vonn said in October (according to Olympics.com):  “I don’t think I would have tried this comeback if the Olympics weren’t in Cortina. If it had been anywhere else, I would probably say it’s not worth it. But for me, there’s something special about Cortina that always pulls me back, and it’s pulled me back one last time.”

Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, said in a statement: “Lindsey qualifying for the 2026 Olympic team is a testament to her resilience and dedication, and the remarkable results she’s delivered on the World Cup this season. She’s proven once again that elite performance isn’t just about past success, it’s about rising to the moment, race after race.”

The 2026 Winter Olympics open Feb. 6; Vonn is scheduled to begin competition on Feb. 8.

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