Lindsey Vonn has been named in the US Alpine ski team for the 2026-27 World Cup season, despite ongoing uncertainty regarding her future in the sport after a significant injury.

The skiing icon suffered a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during a World Cup race and faced multiple complex leg injuries after a crash in the downhill event at the Winter Olympics this February. Vonn has shared her recovery journey, which included eight surgeries, and has not ruled out a return to competitive skiing, even though her leg was nearly amputated.

Despite retiring in 2019 and undergoing a knee replacement, Vonn made a remarkable comeback, finishing 12th overall last season and securing fifth place in the downhill World Cup standings. She also led the standings going into Milan-Cortina and was the highest-ranked American skier in the super-G.

The US squad confirmed Vonn's selection, stating all athletes named qualified based on existing Alpine criteria. Vonn, who turns 42 this month, expressed her uncertainty about returning to competitive racing. She remarked, “I just don’t want to jump to any conclusions or even speculate on what I might do. I may retire. I may never race again, and that would be completely fine.”

She mentioned that any potential return would not occur before the 2027-28 season, citing the need for one more surgery to remove metal and replace her ACL. “Once I get my ACL fixed, then that’s another six months,” she explained, indicating she might need at least a year and a half before being back to full training.

The World Cup season kicks off in Soelden, Austria with a giant slalom on 24 October, followed by the first downhill race at Beaver Creek, Colorado on 11 December.