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Lindsey Vonn hasn't completely shut the door on ski racing again. She hasn't decided to return, either.
The 41-year-old who is recovering from a serious downhill crash at the Milan Cortina Olympics is still trying to figure it all out, which she made clear in a social media post Sunday.
"No, I'm not ready to discuss my future in skiing," Vonn wrote on X. "It was incredible to be #1 in the world again at 41 years old and set new records in my sport, but at my age, I'm the only one that will decide my future.
"I don't need anyone's permission to do what makes me happy," she added. "Maybe that means racing again, maybe that doesn't. Only time will tell. Please stop telling me what I should or should not do. I'll let you know when I decide."
Vonn is on the mend after suffering a complex tibia fracture in her left leg when she crashed just 13 seconds into her Olympic downhill run on Feb. 8. She recently said she nearly lost her left leg after the trauma from the crash led to compartment syndrome in the leg. Compartment syndrome involves excessive pressure building up inside a muscle, either from bleeding or swelling. High pressure restricts blood flow and can lead to permanent injury if not treated quickly.
She thanked Dr. Tom Hackett, an orthopedic surgeon who works with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard Team, for conducting a fasciotomy and saving her leg.
Since her return from Italy, Vonn has been posting videos showing her lifting weights and, just recently, riding a stationary bike.
"I'm biking!!" she wrote. "Starting with 5 minutes… making progress one day at a time."
Vonn made a comeback last season after nearly six years away from racing. She was feeling healthy and strong again thanks to a partial titanium implant in her right knee.
Vonn won two downhill races this season and earned a podium spot in three others. She was among the favorites leading into the Olympic downhill, an event she won at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
But in a downhill race on Jan. 30, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, she crashed and wound up in the safety nets. She later revealed she damaged the ACL in her left knee but was still confident she could compete in Cortina.
Moments after leaving the start gate, she clipped a gate with her right shoulder and pinwheeled down the slope before ending up awkwardly on her back. She was treated for quite a while before being taken off the hill by helicopter.
Soon after the frightening crash, her father said he would urge her retire.
Vonn underwent multiple surgeries in Italy before returning to the United States. She was leading the overall World Cup downhill standings until last weekend and now sits in third place.
"My focus has been on recovering from my injury and getting back to normal life," Vonn said in the social media post. "I was already retired for 6 years and have an amazing life outside of skiing."
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AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
