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Skiing legend Lindsey Vonn announced her decision to come out of retirement and compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Vonn, 40, one of the most decorated female skiers in history, last competed at the Winter Olympics during the 2018 Pyeongchang Games before announcing her retirement in 2019.
"Well, it’s off to Colorado…. I hope the @usskiteam uniform still fits… 😉 #onedayatatime," Vonn wrote on an Instagram video post showing herself skiing down a hill shared on Thursday (November 14).
Vonn is a three-time Olympic medalist, which included winning gold in the downhill and bronze in the super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games and bronze in the downhill at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games, as well as being a four-time overall World Cup champion and eight-time world championships medalist.
Vonn's 82 World Cup race victories stood as the most for any female skier until being eclipsed by fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin, 29, who is now at 97 career wins, the most of any Alpine skier in history.
“I don’t know if I could fill Lindsey’s shoes, the way that she has worn them," Shiffrin said before tying and eventually surpassing Vonn's career total.
Vonn last competed in February 2019 before retiring due to injuries sustained throughout her career, which included broken arms and legs, concussions and torn knee ligaments, undergoing surgery for a partial knee replacement in April. The legendary skier has been training in recent months, which led to speculation about a potential return.
“Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey,” Vonn said via U.S. Ski & Snowboard on Thursday, noting that she intends to “continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women” on the American roster, returning to the team effective immediately.