Lindsey Vonn starts comeback bid in first race since coming out of retirement

Correction/clarification: An earlier version of this story incorrectly reported the number of Olympic gold medals Lindsey Vonn has won. She has one Olympic gold medal.

For the first time in six years, Olympic alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is hitting the slopes to compete.

Vonn, 40, competed at the FIS Fall Festival at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado, marking her first race since coming out of retirement last month. Vonn finished 24th out of 45 skiers with a time of 1:07.23 on Saturday in the first of two downhill races, 1.44 seconds behind winner Mirjam Puchner of Austria.

"Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my teammates again," Vonn wrote on social media. "While I’m sure people will speculate and say I’m not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me. I’m still testing equipment and getting back in the groove. This is only the beginning and the way I’m skiing is more important than the times at this point. Now I have the FIS points to race World Cup."

LINDSEY VONN returns to racing for the first time in almost six years

Vonn last raced professionally in February 2019 at the world championships in Sweden, where she won a bronze medal in women's downhill at age 34 to become the oldest woman to medal at an alpine world championship and the first woman to medal at six different world championships.

Vonn has won 82 World Cup races throughout her illustrious career, which stood as the most for a female skier until her record was broken in January 2023 by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin.

Here's everything you need to know about Vonn ahead of her comeback bid:

Who is Lindsey Vonn?

Vonn is a three-time Olympic medalist alpine skier, who is best known for speed events like downhill and Super-G.

How old is Lindsey Vonn?

Vonn was born on October 18, 1984 and is currently 40 years old.

Where is Lindsey Vonn from?

Vonn was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, to Linda Anne and Alan Lee Kildow. She first started skiing at age 3 alongside her father and grandfather, who were both competitive skiers. Her family eventually relocated to Vail, Colorado for better opportunities as Vonn's star rose.

"I began racing at seven, and by nine I was doing international events," she recalled on her website.

How many Olympic medals does Lindsey Vonn have?

Vonn competed in four Olympic Games and has three Olympic medals – one gold and two bronze.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Vonn became the first U.S. woman to win gold in downhill after defeating longtime rival Julia Mancuso by 0.56 seconds despite nursing a shin injury. "I gave up everything for this. It means everything to me," she said at the time. "I dreamed about what this would feel like, but it is much better in real life."

Vonn also picked up an Olympic bronze medal in the women's Super-G at the Vancouver Winter Games.

At the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Vonn won bronze in downhill.

Vonn said she has her sights set on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, if her return goes well.

"I’ve always enjoyed racing in Cortina and I’ve had a lot of success in Cortina," she said. "I don’t know what the next few months and the next year and a half hold for me. So I can’t say right now if it’s a possibility."

How many world championships does Lindsey Vonn have?

Vonn won four world championships (2008-10, 2012) and set a record with 82 World Cup victories, winning at least one in all five alpine disciplines – downhill, Super-G, giant slalom, combined and slalom. (Her record has since been broken by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin.) Her 43 World Cup wins in the downhill and 28 in super-G are the most by any skier in history, man or woman.

Why did Lindsey Vonn originally retire?

Vonn retired in 2019 following a string of injuries and crashes throughout her career. Her long list of injuries includes a torn ACL, MCL and broken right leg at the 2013 world championships, another ACL injury that forced her to miss the 2014 Winter Olympics, a fractured ankle in 2015, a fractured knee in 2016, a fractured arm in 2016, another fractured knee and torn ligament in 2018 and a knee replacement surgery in 2024.

"I am struggling with the reality of what my body is telling me versus what my mind and heart believe I’m capable of. The unfortunate reality is my mind and body are not on the same page," she wrote in her retirement announcement in February 2019. "My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP, and it’s time for me to listen."

Contributing: Steve Gardner

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lindsey Vonn skis in first race since coming out of retirement