Lindsey Vonn completed her successful downhill run at the Winter Olympics despite a torn ACL

US skater Lindsey Vonn has successfully completed her mandatory slopestyle training for the Winter Olympics just one week after tearing her left anterior cruciate ligament.

The 41-year-old athlete announced on Tuesday that she suffered a knee injury during the plane crash, which led to her being airlifted to hospital, in the last World Cup race before the Games in Switzerland.

But Vonn, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, completed a smooth run down Cortina’s Olympia delle Tufane in 1 minute, 44.33 seconds, 1.39 seconds off the fastest time of the day.

In a powerful press conference earlier this week, Vonn expressed her determination to compete in the downhill race on Sunday but was unsure whether she would also make it to the team and Super-G events, which take place on February 10 and 12, respectively.

Skaters must complete at least one practice run in order to compete in Sunday’s race and will have the option of doing a second practice run on Saturday.

In a session that was severely delayed by foggy weather at the top of the course and actually postponed from Thursday due to adverse weather conditions, several skiers missed gates on the otherwise smooth course.

This means that overall times may look fast but are somewhat deceiving – while missing the gates in the Sunday race will result in disqualification.

Vonn appeared largely untroubled by her brace-supported knee, opting for an aggressive line to ensure she didn’t miss the gate in extreme weather conditions and bumped into compatriot Breezy Johnson’s fist after crossing the line.

After I finished running, I was asked: “Is everything okay?”

She replied, “Yes,” and then walked away after saying that she would not speak to any media after the session.

Her Norwegian coach and two-time Olympic gold medalist Axel Lund Svindal spoke to reporters and said he believes Vonn still has a chance to win a medal.

“From what I saw today, I think she can,” he said.

“There were reserves today. She looked consistent. I saw earlier this season that when she skates well, she can win. It’s going to be tough but I think she can do it on Sunday.”

Vonn said her knee isn’t swollen or sore and that’s why she felt “confident” in her ability to compete, posting a video to her Instagram of herself doing squats at the gym on Thursday.

The four-time world champion was one of the favorites to win gold in Cortina before her injury and is leading the standings in the World Cup Downhill.

Vonn is aiming for a sensational comeback after retiring from the sport in 2019 before returning in December 2024 following a partial replacement of her right knee.