Lindsey Vonn has secured a spot on the U.S. alpine ski team for the upcoming 2026-27 World Cup season, despite facing uncertainties about her future in the sport due to undergoing surgery following a severe crash at the Milano-Cortina Olympics in February. The U.S. team confirmed that all selected athletes met the necessary alpine criteria for qualification. Despite her recent setbacks, Vonn achieved a 12th overall ranking and placed fifth in the final downhill standings last season, making her the highest-ranked U.S. female skier in super-G.
A three-time Olympic medalist, Vonn, who will turn 42 this month, expressed doubts in April about a potential return to competitive ski racing after sustaining a complex tibia fracture during an Olympic downhill race on February 8. She has undergone multiple surgeries since the incident.
The upcoming World Cup season will kick off in Soelden, Austria, featuring a giant slalom event on October 24. The first downhill competition will take place at Beaver Creek, Colorado, on December 11.
