Lindsey Vonn reveals bold Winter Olympic comeback plan despite suffering ‘completely ruptured’ ACL on eve of Games

Lindsey Vonn believes there is a chance she can compete at the Winter Olympics despite sustaining a horror injury on the eve of the Games.

The American Alpine skiing star revealed on Tuesday that she ‘completed ruptured’ her ACL when she crashed out of a downhill World Cup event on January 30.

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She has also been left with bone bruising and ‘meniscal damage’ after last week’s incident, which saw the 41-year-old airlifted to hospital.

Despite those injuries, Vonn plans to race in the women’s Alpine events which begin on Sunday, February 8 at the Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina.

The American was tracking to be the favorite, but has admitted her outlook has changed.

Lindsey Vonn ‘confident’ to race in coming days

“I know what my chances were before the crash and I know my chances aren’t the same as it stands today,” Vonn told reporters.

“But I know there’s still a chance, and as long as there’s a chance, I will try.”

The Olympic champion said she can’t walk away from what will likely be her last Games.

“I am not letting this slip through my fingers,” Vonn added.

“I’m not crying. My head is high, I’m standing tall and I’m going to do my best and whatever the result is.”

After three days of physical therapy and consultations with doctors, Vonn went skiing on Tuesday with a brace on her knee.

“It feels stable, it feels strong,” she said, adding she was ‘confident’ to race in the coming days.

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“I will do everything in my power to be in the starting gate.”

What happened to Lindsey Vonn last week?

Vonn fell around a sharp turn early in a race in Crans-Montana last Friday.

That was the last World Cup downhill event before the Olympics.

She slammed into the safety nets on the side of the course, before she gingerly made her way down the rest of the course.

Vonn was eventually airlifted away from the finish area.

She was the sixth skier to go out of the gate in that event, and two of the five to go before her also failed to finish amid tough conditions.

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Norway’s Marte Monsen was taken to hospital after a crash, and the race was subsequently cancelled.

Lindsey Vonn has ‘been here before’

Vonn is in the second year of a comeback after a five-year retirement that was brought on by the mounting toll of injuries.

She had fought hard to get back to competition amid significant knee issues, and speaking ahead of the Games, called back to the 2019 world championships.

That year, she competed in her final event while injured, and still medaled.

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“Thankfully, actually, all of my experience in my life has given me a lot of confidence in what my body can and cannot do, Vonn said.

“I’ve been in this position before. I know how to handle it.”