Lindsey Vonn just put an end to all the chatter about her skiing future, making it crystal clear she’s not ready to talk about retirement, especially not with everyone else trying to decide for her. Exactly five weeks after her terrifying crash at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, Vonn took to X, to share her perspective amid her recovery from a complex tibia fracture and a broken right ankle. “No, I’m not ready to discuss my future in skiing,” Vonn wrote in her post.
It is pretty understandable since nobody wants to make life-altering decisions while still healing from such a gnarly injury. She highlighted that her entire focus has been on getting back to normal life, which is a top priority for anyone in that situation. She also reminded everyone that she was already retired for six years and has a fantastic life outside of the sport, according to People.
It truly was incredible to see her back at the top of the world at 41 and setting new records, she remains firm that she alone will decide what comes next. The comments section on her post quickly turned into a bit of a battleground, with Vonn clapping back at users. They questioned her decision to even compete in the Games, especially after she’d ruptured her ACL less than two weeks prior.
People really thought this was their call
One commenter even went as far as telling her to “calm down,” which is a move that is basically just asking for trouble. People often forget that even public figures deserve basic respect, especially when they are dealing with major decisions and recovery. This level of entitlement is not that different from what Olympic star Alysa Liu went through when fans chased her to her car at the airport and invaded her personal space.
Vonn made it clear she was not having any of that. “I’m very calm, just making a statement is all,” she responded, noting that it is tough when thousands of people are trying to dictate your life choices. She knows exactly who and what she is, and sometimes that means using her voice to express her opinions, just like everyone else has the right to do.
In the weeks since her Olympic accident, the three-time Olympic medalist has given us all an unfiltered look at her challenging recovery. We’ve seen her surrounded by friends and family cheering her up in an Italian hospital, and then flying back to the States. She’s been zipping around her home on a scooter, seemingly not wasting any time getting back to her pre-Olympics form.
Just recently, she shared a video on social media of herself on a stationary bike, captioning it, “Guys…. I’m biking!! Starting with 5 minutes… making progress one day at a time 💪🏻.” Now, as she continues to mull over her future endeavors, and despite her father Alan Kildow’s opinion that “there will be no more ski races” for her. Vonn has made her stance abundantly clear: she’s making this decision on her own terms. “I don’t need anyone’s permission to do what makes me happy,” she concluded in her post.
“Maybe that means racing again, maybe that doesn’t. Only time will tell. Please stop telling me what I should or should not do. I’ll let you know when I decide.”
Published: Mar 17, 2026 08:00 pm