Lindsey Vonn, the legendary speed queen of Alpine skiing, is inching closer to a return to competition. It has been confirmed that the U.S. Ski Association has taken a proactive step, submitting an official wildcard request to the International Ski Federation (FIS). The application, addressed to FIS Secretary General Michel Vion, was made five weeks before the two Super-G races in St. Moritz, Switzerland, scheduled for December 21 and 22.
Vonn’s path to St. Moritz, however, runs through smaller FIS races in North America, where Vonn plans to compete as part of her comeback strategy. These events will help her meet World Cup entry criteria and test the resilience of her artificial knee joint, a critical factor in her potential return. Unlike Marcel Hirscher, whose wildcard start bypassed such requirements, Vonn must earn a competitive standing to rejoin speed racing. Currently, she holds 104 FIS points in downhill and 93 in super-G, far above the threshold for elite competition. She needs to reduce her FIS points below 80 per discipline—a challenge for any former champion seeking to reenter the circuit.
Vonn is currently training with the U.S. Ski Team at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Notably, she recently shared the slopes with close friend Sofia Goggia, the Italian speed star also recovering from injury and preparing for her own return to competition. Goggia broke her right leg during training in early February this year and, in September, elected to remove the plate from her leg after experiencing shin pain during training sessions.
Vonn’s timeline hinges on several factors. If all goes as planned, she will be a forerunner at the World Cup races in Beaver Creek on December 14 and 15, a critical test of her readiness for top-level racing. Should she feel ready, her comeback could culminate just a week later on the famed slopes of Corviglia near St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Further down the road, all eyes are on Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, where Vonn has won 12 World Cup races and is therefore often referred to as her “living room.” Patience and preparation remain her guiding principles as she works toward a return to the World Cup circuit.
Meanwhile, critical reactions from retired international athletes keep coming in, and Vonn is not impressed. After an interview with the Swiss newspaper Blick, Vonn blasted retired Swiss champion skiers Sonja Nef and Bruno Kernen, stating she would not forget their “nice” comments. Vonn took special offense with Nef’s comments, stating sarcastically on her X account in Germany that she loves it when women support women. Nef had said the following in her interview with Blick:
“I thought: she can’t be that stupid. But she obviously is – unfortunately. For me, Lindsey is ruining a lot of her image with this. I think that she doesn’t cope in normal life, where she is not always the center of attention and not everything revolves around her. That’s why I feel sorry for her.”
— Sonia Nef
The latest retired skier to join in the chorus of cautionary voices is Austria’s Michaela Dorfmeister, who suggested Vonn should see a psychologist. She, like Nef, believes that Vonn is driven by attention-seeking behavior and underestimates the risk of a comeback at 40 with an artificial knee, “I think that’s extremely dangerous. This is a top-level sport, not a fun event. Does she want to kill herself? I hope it goes well for her.”
There are three weeks until the race at Beaver Creek, in which Vonn is planning to serve as a forerunner. In the meantime, there are Downhill and Super-G FIS Open events scheduled in Val Gardena/Gröden, Italy, from November 29 to December 3, which Vonn could attend to lower her FIS points ahead of St. Moritz. Should she participate, it will give an interesting indication of Vonn’s ability ahead of the World Cup races.
