When Lewis Hamilton recently jumped into a Ferrari Formula 1 car at 40, nobody asked if he was too old for the sport. In fact, they probably handed him a trophy just for showing up. Meanwhile, Marcel Hirscher returned to ski racing after a five-year break and got barely a peep of criticism. But when Lindsey Vonn, at 40, made her comeback this season after a similar hiatus, the critics came out like clockwork.

Some even asked, “Does she want to kill herself?” while others suggested she “see a psychologist.” All of this, even though she is proving herself by her performance. Vonn recently took part in her first World Championship race since 2019 and finished almost two seconds behind the leader. Vonn placed 15th in the downhill at Ski Worlds.

She called it a “practice run for the Olympics.” She is proving that while age might slow you down, it definitely doesn’t dull the sass. Not terrible, right? Still, the trolls kept trolling. But Lindsey, being Lindsey with 82 World Cup wins under her belt, shut the critics down with her words this time, leaving them nothing to say.

Which major event is Lindsey Vonn preparing for with her recent comeback?

2024 Summer Olympics

2025 World Ski Championships

2027 Alpine Ski World Cup

2026 Winter Olympics

So, recently, Lindsey Vonn after the race was interviewed by CBC Sports’ Devin Heroux. The topic of her comeback and the scrutiny around women in sports, especially at her age, came up. The interviewer asked, “Some are questioning your comeback and the limitations around women in sport, particularly at your age. Can you comment on that? “

Lindsey Vonn Sends a Strong Message to the Skiing World Shortly After Concerning Career Update

Why is Lindsey Vonn criticized for her comeback when male athletes get a free pass?

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Debate

Without wasting a second, Lindsey shot back with a response that left no room for doubt. “Yeah, you know, I think we always expect people to do a certain thing by a certain age, and I think that expectation is wrong. I think if you believe in yourself and you work hard, you can achieve anything you set your mind to,” she said.

Vonn added, “Men have done what I’m doing—there’s no reason why I can’t do it. And I think, you know, criticism—there’s no place in sports for that kind of personal criticism. And I think I don’t need to prove anything to anyone. I’m doing this because I enjoy it, because I love it, and that should be enough.” And she is completely right. Why shouldn’t one continue to pursue something if they are not hindering someone?

But Lindsey, with her mental fortitude, wasn’t one to think too deeply about these misgivings. The perennial champ simply said, “You know, it doesn’t matter—I don’t see what my results are. Although I was also doing pretty good so far, so I think I silenced some of those critics a long time ago.” Lindsey’s return to downhill skiing wasn’t a spur-of-the-moment decision.

In fact, she first retired in 2019 after struggling with persistent injuries, but after undergoing a knee replacement in 2024, she decided to make a comeback. And fans? They were ecstatic! There’s nothing quite like seeing a legend come back for one more ride down the slopes. But this wasn’t a sudden decision.

It followed years of surgeries, a lot of research, and months of testing her body across places like New Zealand, Austria, and Colorado. She wasn’t just jumping in for the fun of it; she wanted to make sure her body could handle the rigors of the sport, especially at 40. But what were the results? Well, you might be in for a surprise.