Lindsey Vonn hits the 2026 Winter Olympics slopes for the first time on her torn ACL

Milan, Italy — American star Lindsay Vonn participated in an official Olympic training event for Women’s downhill skiing on Friday, hitting the slopes at the Winter Games for the first time after rupturing her left ACL when she crashed in a World Cup race in the Swiss Alps a week ago. 

Friday’s run was the first official downhill training to take place ahead of the Games, after an event scheduled for Thursday was canceled due to the weather. It was delayed briefly over weather concerns before being resumed.

Vonn completed the run without any apparent issues. Her first competitive Olympic event, the women’s downhill, is scheduled for Sunday.

“I haven’t cried. I haven’t deviated from my plan.” Vonn told reporters at a news conference on Tuesday while speaking about her injury. “Normally, in the past, there’s always a moment where you break down and you realize the severity of things and that your dreams are slipping through your fingers. But I didn’t have that this time. I’m not letting this slip through my fingers. I’m gonna do it. End of story.”

Fellow Olympic U.S. alpine skiers told CBS News on Thursday that they believed their teammate was still capable of competing despite her injury.

“If anyone can come back from this, if anyone could do it, it’s Lindsey,” Team USA skier Isabella Wright said as a group of U.S. athletes trained at a gym in Cortina, in the far northern Italian Dolomites where alpine events are being held. 

“If it’s your last Games, and you know, already probably have a lot of knee damage, then there’s not that much to lose,” Vonn’s teammate Breezy Johnson told CBS News.

Jacqueline Wiles, who has skied with Vonn before, described her as “definitely one of the toughest.”

“I think any time you’re injured, trying to fight through that injury while you’re still competing, while the season’s going on, it definitely can get in your head,” Wiles said. “But she’s been through it more than anyone.”