CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy — Those who want to seeLindsey Vonncompete at the2026 Winter Olympicswon't have to wait long.
The first training session for the women's downhill at theMilano Cortina Gamesis Friday (5:30 a.m. ET) and will stream live on Peacock. Vonn, who fullyruptured the ACL in her left kneeina downhill crashon Jan. 30 and plans to compete at these Games still, will use the session to test the stability of her knee in a race environment. The second training session for downhill is Saturday ahead of the race on Sunday, Feb. 8. Already skiing on a partial right knee replacement, the 41-year-old will decide after the downhill race, Vonn's signature event, if she will compete in team combined (Feb. 10) and super-G (Feb. 12).
Peacock and USA Network will carry all of Vonn's races live, and NBC will re-air the downhill the day of the race. (That's also the day of the Super Bowl, so plan your schedule accordingly!)
Here's all you need to know.
Lindsey Vonn reacts after crashing as she competes in the women's downhill race part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Jan. 30, 2026.Vonn is expected to be one of the biggest stars at the Milano Cortina Olympics, The 2010 Olympic downhill champion retired in 2019 because of the physical toll of her many injuries. After a partial replacement of her right knee in April 2024, she decided to make a comeback, returning to the World Cup circuit in December 2024. Look back on some of her toughest crashes and her resilient spirit." style="max-width:100%; height:auto; border-radius:6px; margin:10px 0;" loading="lazy" />
Lindsey Vonn's most dramatic crashes and her relentless spirit
Lindsey Vonnreacts after crashing as she competes in the women's downhill race part of the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup 2025-2026, in Crans Montana, Switzerland, on Jan. 30, 2026.Vonn is expected to be one of the biggest stars at theMilano Cortina Olympics, The 2010 Olympic downhill champion retired in 2019 because of the physical toll of her many injuries. After a partial replacement of her right knee in April 2024, she decided to make a comeback, returning to the World Cup circuit in December 2024. Look back on some of her toughest crashes and her resilient spirit.
When will Lindsey Vonn compete at the Milano Cortina Olympics?
Before tearing her ACL in the final downhill race before the Olympics, Vonn was planning to ski the downhill, the super-G and the team combined, where she could be paired with Mikaela Shiffrin. All three races are in the first week of the Games.
The downhill is at 5:30 a.m. ET on Sunday, Feb. 8
The team combined is Tuesday, Feb. 10, with the downhill run at 4:30 a.m. ET and the slalom run at 8 a.m. ET.
The super-G is at 5:30 a.m. ET on Thursday, Feb. 12.
All of this is weather-dependent, of course.
Why did Lindsey Vonn come out of retirement?
The 2010 Olympic downhill champion was forced to retire in 2019 because of the tolla series of severe injurieshad taken on her body, her right knee in particular. She had a partial knee replacement in the spring of 2024, and felt so good afterward that she decided to try training again in hopes of ending her career on her terms.
"I've had a permanent smile on my face since I got on snow after surgery," Vonn said. "I haven't felt no pain and I haven't felt free like this in so long. Really since 2013, since my first ACL surgery."
Women's Alpine being in Cortina at these Games was also part of the draw. Cortina is one of Vonn's favorite places. It was where she made her first World Cup podium, winning a bronze in the downhill in 2004, and where she's gotten 12 of her 84 wins.
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That includes a win in the super-G in January 2015 that was the 82nd of her career, what was then the women's record.
"Everything about Cortina, I love," Vonn said. "The track itself, I just really understand it. It's all about, in downhill, seeing the fall line and being able to carry speed, and I know the places where I can make a mistake and where I can't. The places I have to accelerate.
"And it's really fun because it's a really high-speed course. It's technical, it has a lot of elements to it. The jumps are pretty big," she added. "So overall, I just really have a great feel for what it takes to ski fast there."
Will Lindsey Vonn be a medal contender?
Before tearing her ACL, absolutely. Even after, a 50% Vonn is better than almost anyone else at 100%.
Vonn had mixed results in her first season after coming out of retirement. But with a full offseason to train and fine-tune her equipment, she's back to her old, dominant self.
She's been on the podium in five of her first six races, including wins in two of the season's first three downhills. The one race she wasn't on the podium? She finished fourth in her first super-G.
"I'm skiing freely with no exterior expectation or pressure," Vonn said. "The only pressure I face is myself."
What is the team combined?
The team combined replaces the individual combined. It's two runs, one downhill and one slalom, but instead of one skier doing both, it's now a team of two skiers. A speed skier will do the downhill run and a tech skier will do the slalom.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Will Lindsey Vonn ski at 2026 Winter Olympics? Injury update, schedule
