Lindsey Vonn of the United States during a press conference for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy on Tuesday. Fatima Shbair/Associated Press
Remember that man in Iowa who made a habit of winning NCAA wrestling championships after tearing an anterior cruciate ligament? Spencer Lee was in his early 20s at the time, and now a woman in her early 40s is about to attempt a similar feat at the winter Olympics. However this story ends, U.S. skier Lindsey Vonn has to go down as one of the greatest, grittiest competitors in the history of her sport or any other.
To be clear, this story's ending could be very ugly. When a downhill ski run ends before the finish line, it doesn't end gently. It can be especially challenging when, thanks to a recent crash, one's left knee is missing the strong tissue that helps connect the femur to the tibia. But America's guts player is inclined to give it a go. Ms. Vonn reported Tuesday on Instagram:
Given that she plans to ski despite this significant injury to her left knee, one might say that her competitive spirit has the strength of titanium -- just like parts of her right knee, which was reconstructed after a previous injury.
Even before the latest injury, Ms. Vonn was embarked on one of the most improbable comebacks in sports. She has had so many surgeries that she laughingly reported to Jimmy Fallon that when she walks through an airport metal detector and does not hear an alarm, she starts to worry about the level of security. "Wait a minute -- is this thing working?"
Traditionally this column has appreciated Olympics drama especially when it involves the clash of civilizations, like Athens vs. Sparta or USA vs U.S.S.R. In Ms. Vonn's ski races, it appears that the toughest competition is likely to occur within the friendly confines of NATO. But even without a lot of commies to serve as villains, we now have the chance to observe a rare test of will.
Even if the dream ends in this week's training run, one can't help but be inspired by her gargantuan resolve -- while also being concerned for her safety.
Evan Kruegel at NBC affiliate KUSA in Denver reports:
What would we do without experts?
While people should not to try this at home, certainly they can find in her example some inspiration to persevere. This week it does seem a little harder to argue that one's knees are not quite up to the challenge of pickleball.
Andrew Dampf reports today:
Who wouldn't be confident coaching such a fierce competitor?
At a Tuesday press conference Ms. Vonn said, "I'm not letting this slip through my fingers... I'm going to do my best and whatever the result is that's what it is. But never say I didn't try."
James Freeman is the co-author of "The Cost: Trump, China and American Revival" and also the co-author of "Borrowed Time: Two Centuries of Booms, Busts and Bailouts at Citi."
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