CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — Lindsey Vonn, shaking off the effects of a ruptured ACL in her left knee, completed a successful downhill training run on Friday at the Olympia delle Tofane course.
Vonn, 41, kept her hopes for Olympic gold alive with an aggressive run, finishing in 1:40.33.
Crowds at the course applauded when Vonn crossed the finish line. U.S. teammate Breezy Johnson was waiting and exchanged a fist bump, USA Today reported.
Just one week after tearing her ACL, Lindsey Vonn has completed her Olympic training run in Cortina.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) February 6, 2026
The women's downhill competition takes place this Sunday. pic.twitter.com/FgEG8xkWTI
“She was smart. She didn’t go all in,” said Aksel Lund Svindal, a former Olympic downhill champion from Norway and now one of Vonn’s personal coaches. “She made a mistake on the bottom, but the rest looked like just good skiing, but no big risk. And to me it looked symmetrical.”
[ Winter Olympics: Lindsey Vonn ‘confident’ she’ll compete despite ruptured ACL ]
Vonn, who did not stop to talk with reporters, did have a one-word answer -- “Yep” -- to an Associated Press reporter who asked if all was well after her run.
She went for more rehab after leaving the course.
Vonn was injured last week during a World Cup race in Crans-Montana, Switzerland. She lost control coming off a jump while bracing to make a right-hand turn, NBC News reported.
Vonn wore a brace on her left knee during her practice run. After her injury last week, she was adamant that she would compete and expressed confidence in a social media post before Friday’s session.
“Nothing makes me happier! No one would have believed I would be here,” Vonn wrote. “But I made it!! I’m here, I’m smiling and no matter what, I know how lucky I am. I’m not going to waste this chance. Let’s go get it!!”
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