Winter Olympics 2026: Lindsey Vonn shuts down injury skeptics before women's downhill, says ACL is '100% gone'

Less than 48 hours before she tries to achieve the unthinkable in Sunday’s Olympic women’s downhill competition, Lindsey Vonn made the mistake of combing through her mentions on social media. 

The 41-year-old American took issue with critics who questioned the details of the torn ACL that she suffered exactly a week ago yet will not allow to derail her comeback.

A supposed doctor of sports medicine baselessly speculated on Friday that Vonn’s injury wasn’t “a bread and butter, fresh ACL tear like everyone is thinking.” Vonn fired back, “lol thanks doc. My ACL was fully functioning until last Friday.”

“Just because it seems impossible to you doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” Vonn continued. “And yes, my ACL is 100% ruptured. Not 80% or 50%. It’s 100% gone.”

Further down Vonn’s timeline was a purported clinical pharmacist who alleged that Vonn was only able to ski because she’s “pumped up w anti inflammatory medications and pain meds” and “doesn’t value her long term health.” Vonn shot down that theory too, replying, “Actually have taken zero pain medications. Zero. Not even Tylenol. But thanks.”

Vonn was poised to be one of the faces of the Milan Cortina Winter Games even before her ill-timed injury. The four-time overall World Cup champion and 2010 Olympic gold medalist unretired after six years away from the sport and dominated the downhill once more on a partially replaced right knee. 

Had she not crashed during the final World Cup downhill before the Olympics, Vonn would have been a favorite to win the gold medal on Sunday. Now she’s trying to make a comeback within a comeback, to compete for a medal on one surgically repaired knee and one without the main stabilizing ligament.

“You got this Lindsey!  Shock these haters!” a more supportive fan wrote to her Friday.

Responded Vonn, “Facts.”