BEAVER CREEK, Colo. — Lindsey Vonn tries to take her comeback step-by-step even when there’s loads of purpose — and temptation — to look down the street.
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On Wednesday, the 40-year-old American ski racer was concentrating solely on testing out the Birds of Prey course as a forerunner. Quickly, it is setting as much as be a World Cup race. Probably later, the 2026 Winter Video games at considered one of her favourite venues in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
“In a perfect world, yeah, that would be amazing,” Vonn stated of the considered competing at a fifth Winter Olympics. “But I’m trying to stay in the present. It’s a long ways to Cortina. So, again, just put the brakes on my expectations and try to stay focused on today and see where I can take it, because no one’s done it before.”
What she’s making an attempt to perform is a comeback after almost six years away and after present process a partial knee alternative final April.
Vonn was considered one of three forerunners Wednesday to check out the demanding course earlier than the racers within the discipline went via a coaching run. She’s scheduled to function a forerunner over the following two coaching days, after which each races — a downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.
She earned sufficient factors final weekend at a collection of lower-level FIS races to compete on the World Cup circuit, however not in time to earn a spot at Beaver Creek.
After ending her forerunning journey via the course, Vonn referred to as in a report back to her American teammates. She supplied recommendation on find out how to sort out the hill.
“It felt so normal to be standing in the start gate,” Vonn stated. “Everything felt as it should.”
Unusual being a forerunner once more, which is usually reserved for racers simply breaking into the circuit?
“I don’t think it feels strange,” Vonn stated. “It feels normal in the progression that I’m making. I mean, I would prefer to be racing here, but beggars can’t be choosers.”
She seemed in quick kind, too. Not less than, teammate Bella Wright thought so after watching her from a ski elevate.
“I heard some skis and looked over and it was Lindsey tucking,” Wright stated. “I was like, ‘Oh, she looks as good as ever.’”
Vonn wasn’t fairly able to decide to a racing schedule. The following pace occasions are a pair of super-G competitions on Dec. 21-22 in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
“We’ll see,” Vonn stated of her plans. “I felt really good physically out there today. I definitely skied conservatively. Very soon I’ll make a decision, but not today.”
When Vonn left the tour, she had 82 World Cup wins — the file for a lady on the time and inside attain of the all-time Alpine mark of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. The ladies’s file held by Vonn was eclipsed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, whose 99 wins are greater than any Alpine ski racer within the historical past of the game.
Vonn is making an attempt to mood expectations.
“I have to be patient. It is definitely not my strong suit. But I’m trying,” Vonn said. “I have a partial knee replacement. I know I’m not going to be winning World Cups right off the bat, but I know what I’m capable of. … I’m really close to being in a really good spot.
“I just hope everyone’s as patient as I am. Just keep everything in perspective and not come after me and my kneecaps when I don’t win my first World Cup.”
Looming on the horizon is the 2026 Winter Video games at a spot Vonn thrives — Cortina. She has 12 World Cup downhill and super-G wins on the venue. Vonn additionally recorded the primary podium results of her profession in Cortina, again in 2004. It is also the location of the place, in 2015, she broke Austrian nice Annemarie Moser-Proell’s girls’s mark of 62 World Cup wins throughout all disciplines.
“When I retired, I think the number one thing that I was sad about was that I couldn’t race Cortina for the Olympics,” Vonn stated. “Cortina is a very special place to me.”
Notes: Federica Brignone of Italy had the quickest time at 1 minute, 34.13 seconds on a Birds of Prey course that is new to fairly a number of racers. Swiss racer Lara Intestine-Behrami was 0.39 seconds behind in second. “It’s really nice,” Intestine-Behrami stated of the course. “Today, with the sunshine, the first run, the slope was on the soft side — easy, skiable side. For the race … it’s going to going to be way harder, way faster and way more challenging.”
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