Alpine Ski World Cup racer Lindsey Vonn has earned her spot back in the Team USA squad for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. The 41-year-old has recently won her 83rd World Cup title on December 12, 2025, in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The victory made her the oldest ski racer to win the title of her age and it was also her first since March 2018.
The 2025 season has been impressive for Vonn. She is ending her campaign this season with four podium finishes in the five races competed so far. She earned second place in St. Moritz claimed third position in both downhill and Super G in Val-d’Isère, France.
The American ski legend is currently placed at No. 1 in the World Cup downhill standings and No. 3 in Super-G. These rankings have earned Vonn a guaranteed spot in the four-member Team USA roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Confirming Vonn’s qualification in Team USA on Tuesday, December 23, 2025, US Ski & Snowboard President and CEO Sophie Goldschmidt said, “Lindsey qualifying for the 2026 Olympic team is a testament to her resilience and dedication. She’s proven once again that elite performance isn’t just about past success, it’s about rising to the moment, race after race.”
Announcing her retirement back in February 2019, Vonn returned to compete in November 2024. In those five years, she underwent a recovery process because of a titanium knee replacement.
However, Vonn has again changed her retirement plans this time. She had previously planned to retire after the 2026 Winter Games in Cortina, but is now eying the World Cup victory in March, which is said to be the end of her tenure in ski.
During an interview with The Athletic, Vonn said, “I feel like I’m rolling the dice enough as it is, being 41 and putting myself through this. So this is a one-season, final season.”
“I’m definitely very excited with how things are going. It’s been a pretty great couple weeks. It was very important to me that I qualified based on my performance and results this season and not based on what was done in the past. My skiing had to earn this spot, and I’m proud to have done that,” she also added.
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina is scheduled from February 6 to 22, 2026. The event will then be followed by the Paralympic Winter Games, which will begin from March 6 to 15.
