{"id":1871131,"date":"2026-04-08T03:33:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1871131"},"modified":"2026-04-08T03:33:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T00:33:23","slug":"i-never-got-my-final-run-lindsey-vonn-opens-door-to-yet-another-comeback","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1871131","title":{"rendered":"\u201cI Never Got My Final Run\u201d: Lindsey Vonn Opens Door to Yet Another Comeback"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_382091\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-382091\" style=\"width: 1007px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-382091 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAGRAQMAAADPYZDDAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADVJREFUeNrtwQEBAAAAgiD\/r25IQAEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwYX7hAAHeahEWAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"401\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=640%2C401&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?w=1007&amp;ssl=1 1007w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=300%2C188&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=200%2C125&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=768%2C481&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=600%2C376&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"401\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-382091\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/IMG_0710.jpeg?resize=640%2C401&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"401\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-382091\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lindsey Vonn shot to her 83rd World Cup victory at St. Moritz. | Image: Cortina Ski World Cup IG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-2 ai-viewport-3 ai-insert-2-33839364\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-2-33839364\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-1-42006410\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-1-42006410\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"1\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>The comeback from the comeback might not be over for Lindsey Vonn. <\/strong>In a candid podcast interview with NBC\u2019s <em>TODAY<\/em> show host Craig Melvin, Vonn revealed she is still considering a return to ski racing \u2014 despite a devastating crash at the 2026 Winter Olympics that nearly cost her leg.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<p data-start=\"983\" data-end=\"1020\">\u201cIt did not end the way I had hoped.\u201d<\/p>\n<h6 data-start=\"1022\" data-end=\"1414\">\u2014 Lindsey Vonn<\/h6>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><strong>\u201cI never got a final run.<\/strong> I never got to say goodbye,\u201d Vonn said, explaining why the idea of one last return still lingers. In alpine ski racing, a \u201cfinal run\u201d is a long-standing tradition. Retiring athletes often take a celebratory last run \u2014 sometimes in costume \u2014 saluted by coaches lining the course and greeted in the finish by teammates and rivals who have become close friends over years on tour. Skis raised, hugs exchanged, crowds cheering \u2014 it\u2019s an emotional farewell. This season, skiers including Alexis Pinturault, AJ Ginnis, Ilka \u0160tuhec, and Dave Ryding all took their final bow.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/the-last-starting-gate-ski-racer-aj-ginnis-to-close-career-with-final-olympic-start\/\"><em><strong>The Last Starting Gate: Ski Racer AJ Ginnis to Close Career With Final Olympic Start<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>However, Vonn never got that celebratory final run.<\/strong> Instead of a farewell, her last race was snatched away by injury \u2014 again. Her final memory is a violent crash, a helicopter evacuation, and a slew of surgeries, followed by a long road to recovery. \u201cI remember everything, it was very severe,\u201d the 41-year-old said. \u201cI have never been in so much pain before.\u201d She added that she has not watched footage of the crash. \u201cI don\u2019t need to relive that experience again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Vonn also worried the Olympic crash could overshadow what had been a remarkable season \u2014 or even an extraordinary career.<\/strong> At the time of the accident, she had won two World Cup races and added three more podiums, putting her at the top of the downhill standings. Her career total stands at 84 World Cup victories. \u201cI don\u2019t want 13 seconds to define my career \u2014 because it\u2019s so much more than that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Some athletes worry about finding meaning after retirement.<\/strong> It is not something Vonn has struggled with. She spent six years away from the sport and built a full life beyond racing. \u201cI have a life that\u2019s very busy and very full,\u201d she said. But she admitted there is still something missing. \u201cBut it will never be ski racing.\u201d Ski racing continues to occupy a unique place in her life. \u201cI have so much that fulfills my life without ski racing,\u201d she said. Still, she acknowledged the pull. \u201cIt\u2019s just something that I love doing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>That tension \u2014 between a full life off the hill and an unfinished ending on it \u2014 is what keeps the door open.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/lindsey-vonn-says-shes-not-ready-to-decide-future-after-devastating-olympic-crash\/\"><strong><em>Lindsey Vonn Says She\u2019s Not Ready to Decide Future After Devastating Olympic Crash<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>The emotional weight of that unfinished ending hit the next day.<\/strong> \u201cMy career, the way I wanted to end it is not going to happen,\u201d Vonn said, describing when the reality set in after the crash. \u201cI worked so hard, and I was having so much fun and enjoying the sport that I love.\u201d More than the physical pain, it was the lack of closure that lingered. \u201cI did not get to say goodbye to my teammates, to my coaches,\u201d she added, calling it \u201ca lot to process.\u201d That moment was compounded by personal loss. The same night as her crash, Vonn\u2019s dog, Leo, passed away \u2014 amplifying an already devastating experience.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_381762\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-381762\" style=\"width: 638px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-381762 lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAn4AAAIyAQMAAABvhFU0AAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAAENJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20LL6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN4GsdIAAS+C9hIAAAAASUVORK5CYII=\" alt width=\"638\" height=\"562\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ddca17de-5f93-449a-9d12-814d04e6eb48-min-e1765378938731.jpeg?resize=638%2C562&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ddca17de-5f93-449a-9d12-814d04e6eb48-min-e1765378938731.jpeg?w=638&amp;ssl=1 638w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ddca17de-5f93-449a-9d12-814d04e6eb48-min-e1765378938731.jpeg?resize=300%2C264&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ddca17de-5f93-449a-9d12-814d04e6eb48-min-e1765378938731.jpeg?resize=600%2C529&amp;ssl=1 600w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"638\" data-eio-rheight=\"562\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"size-full wp-image-381762\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ddca17de-5f93-449a-9d12-814d04e6eb48-min-e1765378938731.jpeg?resize=638%2C562&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"638\" height=\"562\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-381762\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Lindsey Vonn before her victory in St. Moritz, making time for snaps with volunteers. | Image: Fritz Belinger<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p><strong>For now, recovery has become her full-time focus \u2014 and it is as intense as anything from her racing career.<\/strong> She described a daily routine built around rehabilitation: two hours of physical therapy, time in a hyperbaric chamber, and another hour to 90 minutes in the gym. It is a disciplined, almost obsessive schedule, mirroring the mindset that defined her decades on the World Cup circuit.<\/p>\n<p><strong>But even with that structure, doubt has crept in.<\/strong> \u201cIt\u2019s hard for me to look past the crash myself,\u201d Vonn said. \u201cAnd if I can\u2019t look past it, then what\u2019s the world going to think?\u201d She described this injury as uniquely difficult \u2014 from weeks in the hospital to the loss of independence that came with being in a wheelchair, something she had never experienced before.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Still, the competitor\u2019s mindset hasn\u2019t gone anywhere.<\/strong> \u201cI still visualize myself making it to the finish line and winning,\u201d she said \u2014 a telling insight into how her mind continues to operate. That vision often leads back to Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, a venue long considered her \u201cliving room\u201d after 12 career victories there.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Related: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/snowbrains.com\/lindsey-vonn-returns-home-to-colorado-following-her-olympic-downhill-crash\/\"><em><strong>Lindsey Vonn Returns Home to Colorado Following Her Olympic Downhill Crash<\/strong><\/em><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>It is clear there is still something unresolved.<\/strong> With the ending taken from her so abruptly, the question is no longer whether she can move on \u2014 she already has \u2014 but whether she wants to. \u201cMaybe one more race\u2026 maybe I will race again. I don\u2019t know,\u201d Vonn said. \u201cIt might be fun to do one more run.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0That possibility \u2014 even if uncertain \u2014 is very real for her.<\/strong> Would she really race again, Melvin queried Vonn, after everything she had gone through? \u201cMuch to my family\u2019s dismay, yes,\u201d Vonn admitted. Her father did not hold back after the crash, expressing his hope for an end to his daughter\u2019s racing career publicly. But while Vonn can understand her father\u2019s concern for her well-being, her competitive nature dominates. \u201cI am surprised he said that, because if you know me, you know the one way to get me to do something is to tell me I can\u2019t do that.\u201d While Vonn admitted how stressful it would have been for her father to watch and acknowledged that his comment came from a good place, she chuckled, \u201cbut yeah, he probably should not have said that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>If Vonn has proven one thing in the last 18 months, it\u2019s that it\u2019s better to not underestimate her.<\/strong> She has rewritten sporting history so many times, it would be foolish to assume to know her limits in this sport, which she so clearly loves with every fibre.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_386851\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-386851\" style=\"width: 1440px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-386851 size-full lazyload\" src=\"image\/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAoAAAAHZAQMAAAAsahjCAAAABlBMVEUAAAD\/\/\/+l2Z\/dAAAAAXRSTlMAQObYZgAAAAlwSFlzAAAOxAAADsQBlSsOGwAAADxJREFUeNrtwTEBAAAAwqD1T20MH6AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAzgaVqQABgzvuMAAAAABJRU5ErkJggg==\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"473\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?resize=640%2C473&amp;ssl=1\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?w=1440&amp;ssl=1 1440w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?resize=300%2C222&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?resize=1200%2C888&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?resize=768%2C568&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?resize=600%2C444&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?w=1280&amp;ssl=1 1280w\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-eio-rwidth=\"640\" data-eio-rheight=\"473\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" class=\"wp-image-386851 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/snowbrains.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/IMG_2364-e1775618874242.jpeg?resize=640%2C473&amp;ssl=1\" alt width=\"640\" height=\"473\" data-eio=\"l\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-386851\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Vonn was in the red leader bib for the majority of the season. | Image: FIS Alpine<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<div class=\"ai-viewports ai-viewport-1 ai-insert-3-85714601\" style=\"margin: 8px auto;text-align: center;clear: both\" data-insertion-position=\"prepend\" data-selector=\".ai-insert-3-85714601\" data-insertion-no-dbg data-code=\"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\" data-block=\"3\"><\/div>\n<p><!-- CONTENT END 1 -->\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Lindsey Vonn shot to her 83rd World Cup victory at St. Moritz. | Image: Cortina Ski World Cup IG The comeback from the comeback might not be over for Lindsey Vonn. In a candid podcast interview with NBC\u2019s TODAY show host Craig Melvin, Vonn revealed she is still considering a return to ski racing \u2014 [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,267],"class_list":["post-1871131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-snowbrains-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1871131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1871131"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1871131\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1871131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1871131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1871131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}