U.S. Ski and Snowboard announced Thursday that Lindsey Vonn has been nominated for an ESPY award in the “Best Comeback” category. She’s one of two athletes from the organization to receive a nod this year, joining para snowboarder Noah Elliot, who is up for “Best Athlete with a Disability.”
Vonn, who initially retired in 2019 due to recurring injuries, made a surprise return to the World Cup circuit this past season. Speculation about a comeback started when she was seen training in New Zealand and Soelden, Austria last year. In an interview with the New York Times in November, the 40-year-old revealed she had not planned to return to racing, but a successful partial knee replacement earlier in the year changed her outlook.
Matt Sayles/AP photo
After serving as the forerunner at Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey World Cup in December, Vonn officially returned to competition. She placed 14th in the super-G in St. Moritz on December 21, followed by a sixth-place finish in the downhill and a fourth-place in the super-G in St. Anton. She capped off her season with a second-place finish in the super-G at the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho becoming the oldest woman to reach a World Cup podium.
Vonn is up for the ESPY alongside U.S. soccer star Mallory Swanson, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog, and Olympic gymnast Suni Lee. A five-time ESPY winner, Vonn has previously earned awards for “Best Female Athlete,” “Best U.S. Female Olympian,” and “Best Moment.”
This year’s ESPY Awards will air on ABC at 6 p.m. MST on July 16. Vonn has also been active off the slopes, attending the “F1 The Movie” premiere in New York on June 16. Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter, she drew parallels between Formula 1 racing and Alpine skiing, noting the shared emphasis on precision, fearlessness, and speed.
“You have to be fearless,” Vonn said. “The way you see the line and the course is very similar to how we do it in skiing… the tactics, generating speed, braking, accelerating it’s all very familiar.”
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