Lindsey Vonn Named to U.S. Alpine Ski Team Despite Olympic Injuries for 2026-27 Season

Lindsey Vonn has officially been named to the Stifel U.S. Alpine Ski Team for the 2026-27 season, despite still recovering from the devastating leg injury she sustained in the downhill at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

U.S. Ski & Snowboard announced its 49-member Alpine Ski Team on October 7, confirming the final roster after releasing nominations in May. Vonn, an 84-time World Cup winner and three-time Olympic medalist, is among the athletes named to the team, alongside reigning World Cup overall champion Mikaela Shiffrin and Olympic downhill champion Breezy Johnson.

Vonn’s inclusion, however, is far from a confirmation that she will race this season — quite the opposite. The 41-year-old suffered a complex tibia fracture in her Olympic downhill crash and has undergone multiple surgeries. In April, she said she still needed to fix her ACL injury and was at least nine months out from returning to snow from that surgery. Whether Vonn will return to the World Cup circuit at all is uncertain, however, she has tentatively stated that she never got her “final run,” leaving the door for a 2027-28 comeback open.

Vonn also holds a FIS wildcard, although she would not need it to qualify for the World Cup due to her ranking 12th overall, fifth in downhill and 13th in super-G. The acknowledgement of her wildcard in the recent FIS press release, however, indicates that the ski organization would be happy for Vonn’s return when she is ready.

Shiffrin, Johnson Lead the Team

Shiffrin headlines the women’s squad after another successful season. The three-time Olympic gold medalist and eight-time world champion returns as the reigning World Cup overall champion, continuing her record-breaking career into a season that will build toward the 2027 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Crans-Montana, Switzerland.

Johnson also returns following a landmark campaign. The Olympic downhill champion and two-time world champion will be among the leading U.S. contenders as the team prepares for the World Championships, scheduled for February 1-14.

Other established names on the roster include Paula Moltzan and Jacqueline Wiles, who won Olympic bronze in the team combined, and Ryan Cochran-Siegle, a two-time Olympic silver medalist in super-G.

The men’s A Team includes Cochran-Siegle, Bryce Bennett, Tommy Ford, Kyle Negomir and River Radamus. The women’s A Team has 12 athletes, including Shiffrin, Vonn, Johnson, Moltzan and Wiles.

New Faces and a Changing Roster

The official announcement follows the nomination list published in May, when 48 athletes were selected for consideration. The final team has 49 members across the A, B and C teams.

The development squads continue to bring through younger racers, with new C Team members including Annika Johansson, Beatrice May, Mari Renick and Katie Rowekamp among the women, and Maximilien Hoder, Alex Krupka, Aksel Lindenmeyr and Mattias Wilson among the men.

Mary Bocock, who moved from the C Team to the A Team in the nominations, is one of the notable names in a younger women’s squad built around established World Cup leaders. Allison Mollin also steps up to the A Team, while Ben Ritchie moves to the B Team.

All athletes were named according to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s published Alpine team criteria. “This is a very determined and impressive group of alpine athletes who are fully prepared to compete at the highest level as we head into a World Championship season,” said Borgen Family Alpine Director Sasha Rearick in the team’s announcement.

A Busy Season Ahead

The 2026-27 Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season opens in Sölden, Austria, on October 24-25 with the traditional giant slaloms. The circuit then heads to Levi, Finland, and Gurgl, Austria, before crossing to North America for a Thanksgiving weekend doubleheader.

The women will race giant slalom and slalom at Killington, Vermont, on November 28-29, while the men compete in super-G and giant slalom at Copper Mountain, Colorado. Beaver Creek will host men’s racing December 3-6, followed by women’s speed races December 11-13.

The season’s major championship event will be the Alpine World Championships in Crans-Montana in February. The World Cup season concludes with the Finals at Sun Valley, Idaho, March 20-25.

Full Team Selection for 2026-27