Lindsey Vonn fires back at critics who are questioning her comeback

Lindsey Vonn's surprising comeback to competitive skiing at 40 years old has been met with more surprise than celebration. Why would the former Olympic gold medalist — who battled injuries throughout her career — want to come out of retirement after knee replacement surgery and potentially subject herself to more pain?

The reaction to Vonn's return to the World Cup skiing circuit has gotten nastier.

"Does she want to kill herself?" asked Austria's Michaela Dorfmeister, a two-time Olympic champion who also wondered if Vonn "should see a psychologist." Added Austrian downhill great Franz Klammer: "She's gone completely mad."

"Vonn should see a psychologist." (#Dorfmeister)

"She's gone completely mad!" (#Klammer)

"I feel sorry for Lindsey." (#Kernen)

Lindsey #Vonn's comeback was always going to spark a polarizing debate. Still, surprised by the harsh comments from some former skiers 👀#FISAlpine pic.twitter.com/gYfFYjfg8J
— Eric Willemsen (@eWilmedia) November 21, 2024

On Wednesday, Swiss skiing legend Pirmin Zurbriggen joined the chorus of criticism. He told Swiss tabloid Blick that "there is a risk that Vonn will tear her artificial knee to pieces ... in such a way that she will never be able to do any sport properly for the rest of her life."

On Thursday, Vonn finally had heard enough from her critics and fired back on X/Twitter.

"You know, I’m getting pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future," Vonn wrote. "It’s enough now."

"Did they all become doctors and I missed it," she added, "because they talk like they know more than the best doctors in the world."

You know, I’m getting pretty tired of people predicting negative things about my future. It’s enough now. Bernard, Sonja and now Primin… is there a reason all former Swiss skiers think this way? Did they all become doctors and I missed it, because they talk like they know more…
— lindsey vonn (@lindseyvonn) December 18, 2024

In an interview with the New York Times, Vonn said her right-knee replacement surgery was revelatory and enabled her to ski pain-free. “I had a smile so wide it was coming through the back of my helmet,” she said.

This weekend, Vonn will participate in World Cup competition for the first time in nearly six years with super-G races in St. Moritz. She remains adamant about the stability of her surgically repaired knee and emboldened as ever about her reasons to come back.

"I know people think that I'm insane, but I am actually kind of smart. I have done a few operations, so I know a few doctors. I talked to a lot of them," Vonn said. "I talked to (extreme skier) Chris Davenport, who also had a partial knee replacement, and he skis like 150 days a year. ... So that gave me a lot of confidence."

Lindsey Vonn fires back at critics who question skiing comeback

By Joe Lago | Dec 19, 2024