Lindsey Vonn hires Aksel Lund Svindal as coach for the 2026 Olympic comeback
TOI World Desk | TIMESOFINDIA.COM | Aug 06, 2025, 19:50 IST
( Image credit : AP )
Highlight of the story: Lindsey Vonn is planning a comeback at the 2026 Winter Olympics. She has hired Aksel Lund Svindal as her coach. Vonn retired in 2019 but is now preparing to compete again. Svindal, a former Olympic champion, will start coaching her this summer. Vonn aims to push boundaries and prove what is possible.
Lindsey Vonn, one of the most decorated alpine skiers in history, has enlisted former rival and Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal as a coach as she prepares for a high-profile return to competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
The announcement was made on Wednesday in a statement from Head, Vonn’s equipment supplier, marking a significant development in the 40-year-old American's comeback campaign. Vonn retired in 2019 after a series of injuries but returned to the slopes last year following knee surgery that involved the insertion of two titanium components.
Svindal, 41, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion, will officially begin his coaching duties during a training camp in Chile later this summer.
“To have him officially on my team as we push for the Cortina Games is a huge boost,” Vonn said. “This comeback is about pushing boundaries and proving what’s possible, and I believe Aksel will help give me the extra edge I will need on this ambitious journey. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
Vonn holds 82 World Cup victories, the most by any female skier and second overall behind Ingemar Stenmark’s 86. Her accomplishments include a gold medal in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and three additional Olympic medals.
Her decision to return to elite-level racing comes after a successful trial season, which culminated in a second-place finish in a World Cup super-G event in March — her first podium appearance since 2018. It signaled to many observers that the former champion still has the skill and physical strength to compete at the sport’s highest level.
Svindal, who retired in 2019 after earning silver in the downhill at the world championships — the final race of his career — expressed admiration for Vonn’s resolve.
“I was a bit surprised when Lindsey called me, but mostly honored,” Svindal said. “She’s one of the greatest to ever compete, and her drive to come back at this level is inspiring. I’m excited to be part of this next chapter.”
Vonn’s return comes as the skiing world looks toward Milan-Cortina 2026, scheduled to run from Feb. 6 to 22. If she qualifies and competes, it would mark her fifth Olympic Games appearance.
Her team, led by Svindal and supported by Head, is focused on refining her form and conditioning ahead of a grueling World Cup schedule leading into the Olympic season.
Whether Vonn can secure a fifth Olympic medal remains to be seen, but her commitment — underscored by recruiting one of the sport’s most respected former athletes — suggests she intends to compete at full force.
“I know what it takes to win,” she said. “And I know I’m not done yet.”
The announcement was made on Wednesday in a statement from Head, Vonn’s equipment supplier, marking a significant development in the 40-year-old American's comeback campaign. Vonn retired in 2019 after a series of injuries but returned to the slopes last year following knee surgery that involved the insertion of two titanium components.
Svindal, 41, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and five-time world champion, will officially begin his coaching duties during a training camp in Chile later this summer.
“To have him officially on my team as we push for the Cortina Games is a huge boost,” Vonn said. “This comeback is about pushing boundaries and proving what’s possible, and I believe Aksel will help give me the extra edge I will need on this ambitious journey. I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”
Vonn holds 82 World Cup victories, the most by any female skier and second overall behind Ingemar Stenmark’s 86. Her accomplishments include a gold medal in the downhill at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and three additional Olympic medals.
Her decision to return to elite-level racing comes after a successful trial season, which culminated in a second-place finish in a World Cup super-G event in March — her first podium appearance since 2018. It signaled to many observers that the former champion still has the skill and physical strength to compete at the sport’s highest level.
Svindal, who retired in 2019 after earning silver in the downhill at the world championships — the final race of his career — expressed admiration for Vonn’s resolve.
“I was a bit surprised when Lindsey called me, but mostly honored,” Svindal said. “She’s one of the greatest to ever compete, and her drive to come back at this level is inspiring. I’m excited to be part of this next chapter.”
Vonn’s return comes as the skiing world looks toward Milan-Cortina 2026, scheduled to run from Feb. 6 to 22. If she qualifies and competes, it would mark her fifth Olympic Games appearance.
Her team, led by Svindal and supported by Head, is focused on refining her form and conditioning ahead of a grueling World Cup schedule leading into the Olympic season.
Whether Vonn can secure a fifth Olympic medal remains to be seen, but her commitment — underscored by recruiting one of the sport’s most respected former athletes — suggests she intends to compete at full force.
“I know what it takes to win,” she said. “And I know I’m not done yet.”