Adnkronos (Adnkronos) –
Lindsey Vonn has been named to the U.S. Alpine Skiing Team for the new season. Her inclusion is impressive, considering the long road the American champion still faces to recover from the serious accident she suffered during the Olympic downhill in Cortina.
The world championship will start on October 24th in Sölden, but the 41-year-old from Minnesota is still a long way off from returning to competition.
The skier is struggling with rehabilitation; the accident caused a complex fracture in her left leg, requiring five surgeries. The operations served to reduce the fracture, stabilize the limb, and reconstruct the damaged joint. However, her medical journey isn't over yet: Vonn will have another operation in November.
The surgery will serve to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament, which was completely torn in the downhill race in Crans Montana on January 30, just a few days before the Games, which he nevertheless wanted to attend.
Only after this operation can a new phase of rehabilitation begin. Estimates suggest it will take approximately nine months to complete her recovery. In this scenario, her return to skiing could only occur in the summer of 2027. The 2026-27 season, which concludes with the finals in Sun Valley, USA, from March 20 to 25, would therefore be destined to end without her.
The goal could thus become the start of the 2027-28 season, assuming her recovery proceeds without complications. Vonn, meanwhile, prefers not to look too far ahead and explained that she's grateful for the progress made so far. Her call-up to the U.S. team therefore represents above all a sign of confidence, while a true return to competition still remains to be achieved.
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