Lindsey Vonn DNFs in World Cup Downhill Race in Germany amid Push for 2026 Olympics

Lindsey Vonn registered a DNF at a World Cup downhill event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany as she continues her quest to qualify for the 2026 Winter Olympics following a nearly six-year retirement.

Per Zack Pierce of The Athletic, Vonn "was kicked out of position around a turn and skied out with seven gates to go."

The 40-year-old Vonn has won 82 times on the World Cup tour with four overall titles from 2008-2010 and then again in 2012. Of note, forty-three of her wins occurred in the downhill event, while 28 derived from the Super-G.

Vonn is also a three-time Olympic medalist, taking gold in the downhill in 2010 and bronze in the Super-G in 2010 and downhill in 2018. She's a two-time gold medalist in the World Championships as well (downhill and Super-G in 2009).

Injuries forced her retirement in 2019, as Vonn said her body was "broken beyond repair." She's dealt with a host of knee surgeries and issues during her career.

However, a 2024 knee replacement gave her a new life in the sport, and Vonn announced her return in November of his past year.

Vonn joined the World Cup tour and finished 14th in the Super-G at St. Moritz on Dec. 21. She steadily improved from there, taking sixth at the downhill on Jan. 11 in St. Anton, just .58 seconds behind first place. Then she finished fourth one day later.

Vonn hasn't fared as well since, taking 20th at the downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Jan. 18 before a fall led to a DNF at the Super-G the next day.

Of course, there's still plenty of time for Vonn to qualify, and more events remain this season. She also has time to register a good finish this weekend with the Super-G on Sunday.

Vonn has ultimately been impressive at times since her return, especially given the long and arduous road she travels just to compete again. In fact, her pre-fall pace at Cortina d'Ampezzo in the Super-G "would've contended for a podium spot," per Pierce.

Vonn has some work to do, but she's clearly got eyes on the next Winter Olympics, which begin in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on Feb. 6. Vonn has previously said, per Andrew Dampf of the Associated Press, that competing there "would be a great way to end things — for once and for all."