Ski racer Lindsey Vonn got back on skis over the weekend in Portillo, Chile, for the first time since a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 5, 2013. (photo: Red Bull Content Pool)
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Lindsey Vonn Back on Skis

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Portillo, Chile – A smiling and pain-free Lindsey Vonn, Olympic gold medalist and four-time Audi FIS Alpine World Cup overall champion, clicked into her skis for the first time in almost seven months on Saturday as she rejoined the U.S. women’s speed team for the first day of a two-week camp in Portillo.

Ski racer Lindsey Vonn got back on skis over the weekend in Portillo, Chile, for the first time since a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 5, 2013. (photo: Red Bull Content Pool)
Ski racer Lindsey Vonn got back on skis over the weekend in Portillo, Chile, for the first time since a season-ending knee injury on Feb. 5, 2013. (photo: Red Bull Content Pool)

Originally slated to ski for the first time on Sunday, an eager Vonn – who landed in nearby Santiago on Saturday morning – snatched two gentle runs as soon as her equipment arrived in Portillo. On Sunday she picked up the pace slightly with five runs consisting of easy drills and minor arcing on flat terrain. She hopes to return to gate training near the end of the camp.

“I can’t tell which knee is injured – that’s a good sign,” said a relieved Vonn, adding, “I usually go from zero to a hundred.  I’m not good in between so this is going to be a challenge.”

Vonn severely injured her right knee on Feb. 5 during a crash in the opening race of the 2013 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Schladming, Austria. Vonn underwent surgery less than a week later to repair a torn ACL/MCL and a fractured tibial plateau sustained in the crash.

“I’ve crashed a lot in my career and I’m just getting back up as fast as I can,” Vonn said. “Unfortunately it’s taken me seven months to get back up this time but I was really excited to get back out there. It feels like the right time and my body feels ready.”

While projected to return to snow in November, Vonn is ahead of schedule as she begins to build toward defending her downhill Olympic gold medal next February in Sochi, Russia – just over one year after her season-ending crash. While U.S. Ski Team coaches and medical staff will monitor Vonn’s progress on a daily basis, she is hoping to return to racing in time for the Nov. 29-Dec. 1 Audi FIS Alpine World Cup races in Beaver Creek, Colo.

Vonn is currently three wins behind Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell’s all-time women’s record of 62 World Cup victories. If Vonn surpasses the mark this season, she will become the most successful female in World Cup alpine ski racing history.

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