Skier Lindsey Vonn back on the slopes after 'looong' nine-month absence

By foxsports
Published

Debilitating knee injuries have kept downhill champion Lindsey Vonn from her beloved sport. But after a "looong" nine-month absence, the alpine skier is finally back on the slopes. 

"After a looong 9 months I'm back on snow!! It was definitely worth the wait!! cool videos to come :) #iloveskiing," Vonn posted on her Instagram account. 

The 29-year-old Olympic gold medalist has spent the better part of this year rehabbing two knee injuries that have kept her from competing at the 2014 Sochi Winter Games. 

But whereas the four-time World Cup championship winner had accelerated previous rehab stints, Vonn told the New York Times she took extra caution in her recovery after undergoing a second ACL surgery. "Everything has healed now, but for the first six months, I had to be very cautious," she said. 

The three-time Olympian told the NYT that she still has the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics firmly in her sights. 

"I need to have another chance to defend my Olympic gold medal in the downhill," Vonn said. "I knew that in January as soon as I mentally accepted that I couldn't race in the Sochi Olympics. I want another chance to compete."

"I'll only be 33 years old," Vonn continued. "People wonder if my body will hold up. I'm very confident it will."