The American champion Assured of Being 'in a good place' for the upcoming Winter Olympics
Vonn had a titanium prosthesis fitted to her right knee throughout her time away from alpine racing.
Alpine star Lindsey Vonn has declared she will be "perfectly prepared" for the upcoming Winter Olympics, on the back of securing a top-three finish for the fourth instance in five World Cup competitions.
The veteran athlete, who last week set a record by becoming the most senior racer to win a downhill World Cup winner, took the bronze position in the super giant slalom in Val d'Isere on Sunday. This marked her one hundred and forty-second career World Cup podium finish.
Strong Return in Val d'Isere
Returning to the French Alps resort for the first occasion in eight years, Vonn finished the course in a time of one minute 20.60 seconds. She was just over a third of a second behind winner Sofia Goggia of Italy, with New Zealand's Alice Robinson securing second place.
"I was slightly lacking enough direction on the initial jump," Vonn said. "Subsequently, I performed strongly. I'm satisfied with my skiing today, in contrast to in the super-G in St Moritz, where I was too conservative."
This performance was her second podium at Val d'Isere over the weekend, having also claimed bronze in the downhill race on Saturday.
A Remarkable Comeback from Injury
Vonn stepped away from competition in early 2019 due to ongoing knee problems. However, she made a stunning return in December 2024 after a partial knee replacement.
With just over six weeks remaining until the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which are set to run from February 6th to the 22nd, Vonn's form are highly promising.
She boasts one gold and two Olympic bronze medals from previous Games and is firmly on track to represent the United States at the next Olympics.
"At the Olympics, I will be where I need to be," Vonn affirmed.
Chasing More Titles
In addition to her Games aspirations, Vonn is also aiming to increase the four overall crystal globes she has accumulated over a career spanning 20 years.
She presently enjoys a 69-point lead at the summit of the downhill World Cup rankings and is sitting in fifth place in the overall super-G standings.
This season's World Cup circuit features a nine more events scheduled before the season finals in Norway on 21 March 2026.
