Should Lindsey Vonn have been allowed to compete in the Women's downhill?

41-year-old Lindsey Vonn is no doubt an American skiing legend. She has four World Cup titles and was the first American woman to win a gold medal in the Women's Downhill, an achievement she accomplished in 2010.

She had returned to elite ski racing last season after nearly six years in retirement, having had a partial titanium knee replacement in her right knee.

There was speculation whether or not Vonn would compete in the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics due to her age, but it is clear to see that nothing would stop her.

She came out of retirement last year at the age of 41 to chase her dream of becoming the oldest downhill Alpine Olympic champion.
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However, her body couldn’t cope, with one knee currently injured, after rupturing her ACL just 9 days before the competition, and the other rebuilt in 2013, Vonn was hanging on by a thread.
On Sunday, Vonn started her final descent down the slope, and it was clear to see she was favouring her uninjured right leg straight off the mark.
She barely made it 13 seconds through her run in Cortina before she got caught in one of the safety markers and fell awkwardly at high speed.
Vonn was immediately tended to by medical staff and is said to be in stable condition after orthopaedic surgery.
The American team must hold some blame for the situation, as they allowed her to race on, knowing she would have an increased chance of injury in an already dangerous sport.
In January 2025’s world cup runner up, Austrian Skier Magdalena Egger, suffered a similar injury, also rupturing her ACL, but she made it very clear that she would not be competing in the Milano Cortina Olympics, as it would be unsafe and could cause her longer-lasting injuries.
In the end, the American team still came out on top, with Breezy Johnson getting the gold, but at what cost to the team?
Lindsey Vonn will likely never ski again; an entirely avoidable outcome, had the American team not allowed her to race, she would not have such lasting injuries.