Paris 2024 Olympics - Opening Ceremony - Paris, France - July 26, 2024. Former alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn reacts as she arrives for the opening ceremony. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez/File Photo
(Reuters) -American skiing great Lindsey Vonn will come out of retirement at the age 40 to rejoin the U.S. ski team, U.S. Ski & Snowboard said on Thursday after she returned to training following a successful knee surgery earlier this year.
Vonn, a three-times Olympic medallist and four-times overall World Cup champion, had retired in 2019 after a bruising 18-year career where she suffered several injuries.
She had retired as the most decorated athlete in women's skiing when she finished her career with 82 World Cup wins -- a record that was broken in January 2023 by American compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin.
Vonn underwent partial knee replacement surgery in April and has been training in recent months to test her knee before taking the decision to return to competitive skiing.
"Getting back to skiing without pain has been an incredible journey. I am looking forward to being back with the U.S. Ski Team and to continue to share my knowledge of the sport with these incredible women," Vonn said in a statement.
Vonn, a speed specialist who is considered one of the greatest ski racers of all time and who helped raise the profile of the sport in the United States, did not indicate when or which races she would enter.
Since first suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury in 2007, Vonn has been sidelined with frequent knee problems and broken bones. She missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics due to a serious knee injury which she has been managing ever since.
Vonn, who recorded her first World Cup victory in 2004, has 20 World Cup titles which include four overall Crystal Globes. She has also won eight World Championship medals and has 137 World Cup podium finishes.
At the 2010 Games in Vancouver, Vonn became the first American woman to win an Olympic downhill gold. She also won a super-G Olympic bronze in 2010 and a downhill bronze at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games.
"Lindsey has made an indelible mark on Alpine skiing and our organisation throughout her career. We're delighted to welcome her back," said Sophie Goldschmidt, the president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
"Her dedication and passion towards Alpine skiing is inspiring and we're excited to have her back on snow and see where she can go from here."
As recognisable on the red carpet as she is on the ski hill, the personable Vonn, who once dated professional golfer Tiger Woods, had a crossover appeal that made her the sport's most popular athlete and earned her many lucrative endorsement deals.
When she called time on her career after dealing with a lengthy list of injuries -- including broken bones, torn knee ligaments and concussions -- Vonn said the decision was because she felt her body was "broken beyond repair."
But Vonn was spotted training in New Zealand earlier this year and more recently on the slopes of Solden, Austria, where the new season kicked off last month, fuelling speculation that she was eyeing a comeback, according to Olympics.com.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru and Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Pritha Sarkar and Toby Davis)
