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Norwegian skiier Aksel Lund Svindal, a retired two-time Olympic gold medalist, played a critical role in Lindsey Vonn’s comeback with Team USA for the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics.
Vonn brought Svindal in as a personal coach ahead of her heroic return to Cortina, where Vonn holds a course-record 12 victories. On Sunday, Vonn attempted to race the alpine skiing women’s downhill event on a torn ACL she had sustained the week before and crashed in the opening 15 seconds of the race.
Vonn, 41, was airlifted off the mountain, taken to the hospital and is in “stable condition” after sustaining an injury, the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team announced.
Svindal retired in 2019 after having knee issues that doctors called “very similar” to what Vonn faced in her injury-riddled career. He was surprised when Vonn, a longtime friend who is just two years younger than him, called him and asked him to coach.
Vonn insisted that “a fresh set of eyes, an Olympic champion set of eyes” could help her conquer Cortina one more time.
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For all his wisdom, there was nothing Vonn’s coach could do about the crash on Sunday. Like most of the audience, Svindal was stunned in the moment. He did not speak to the media, as Vonn’s health and well-being took priority.
Svindal broke his silence on Monday with a heartfelt social media post addressed to Vonn.
“Lindsey. You’re incredibly brave,” Svindal wrote in the caption of a lengthy Instagram post. “You inspire people that follow your journey and us that work closely with you every day. Yesterday was a tough day on the mountain. For everyone, but most of all for you.”
Svindal shared a moment he witnessed between Vonn and teammate Breezy Johnson — who went on to win gold in the event, Team USA’s first of the 2026 Winter Olympics — that showed Vonn’s true character and Olympic spirit.
“Still something happened that I think says everything. ‘Tell Breezy congrats and good job,’” Svindall recalled. “Your teammate was in the lead, and that’s the message you wanted the US skiteam coaches to remember before you got airlifted to the hospital. Real character shows up in the hard moments.”
Svindal also congratulated Johnson, recognized fourth-place finisher Jackie Wiles and thanked the U.S. Ski Team for welcoming him as Vonn’s coach.
Sunday’s individual race was likely the last of Vonn’s storied skiing career, which ends with three Olympic medals and one gold in Vancouver in 2010.
The U.S. Ski Team announced the pairs for the combined women’s event on Tuesday, and it did not include the injured Vonn, who was originally hoping to compete.
