Minnesota Olympic Gold Medal Winner Coming Out of Retirement

The sporting world was shocked to learn that a Minnesota born gold metal winning Olympian is coming out of retirement at the age of 40.

With 3 Olympic medals and several world championships on their resume, this dominant athlete has overcome some horrific injuries to make their return to the world stage.

One of The Best Of All Time

Lindsey Vonn is one of the most successful ski racers in history. She won the Olympic gold medal in downhill skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, making her the first American woman to achieve this.

Vonn's last Olympics was in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea, where she walked away with a bronze metal for Downhill. Her last race was the 2019 World Championships, where she managed to win a bronze medal in downhill skiing, but she retired shortly after due to injuries.

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A Surprise Return

U.S. Ski & Snowboard sent out a press release about Vonn's return to the U.S. Ski Team, she recently underwent knee surgery, and "after careful consideration" she decided to try and return to competitive racing.

"Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey,” said Vonn. "I am looking forward to being back with the Stifel U.S. Ski Team and to continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women".

Minnesota Skiing Roots

Vonn was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and began her skiing journey at Buck Hill, a small ski area in Burnsville, Minnesota.

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Vonn has suffered a variety of injuries over her long career, including shoulder, back, ACL and MCL, knee, a broken arm, and has broken several fingers due to crashes on the ski hill.