Five years after her retirement, Lindsey Vonn wants to return to the Ski World Cup - with an artificial knee joint. Sonja Nef and Bruno Kernen, who also have an artificial knee joint, don't think that's a good idea.
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- Lindsey Vonn has returned to the US ski team and is dreaming of a comeback in the Ski World Cup.
- The 40-year-old has had an artificial knee joint for a few months now. Sonja Nef and Bruno Kernen warn Vonn of the dangers that a return to the World Cup would entail.
- "No surgeon in the world would say that what Lindsey is doing is intelligent," Sonja Nef tells Blick. Kernen explains how great the risk is with an artificial knee joint.
- Vonn reacts ironically to Nef and Kernen's words and thanks the Swiss skiing legends.
There was great euphoria among ski fans when it was announced last week that Lindsey Vonn was back in the US ski team and would be traveling to Colorado, where the speed team is preparing for the first downhill races of the season in December. Vonn is also making no secret of the fact that she is aiming for a comeback in the World Cup.
She retired in 2019. The pain was simply too much after countless injuries. Since then, Vonn has undergone several operations and has had an artificial knee joint on her right side since April of this year. Now, at the age of 40, Vonn wants to give it another go.
The ambitious American will hardly be returning just for fun. But will she be able to ski at the top again at her age, after years of absence and with an artificial knee joint? Sonja Nef and Bruno Kernen, who also had an artificial knee joint fitted after their successful careers, express their doubts in "Blick".
Vonn is taking a big risk
Kernen believes that Vonn could certainly improve continuously in the rankings. "But I don't think she's capable of a podium place in the World Cup." Nef even considers it "impossible" for Vonn to win another World Cup race: "At 40, you can't go full throttle like that and certainly not with an artificial knee joint."
What worries the two Swiss ski legends more is the health of the former speed dominator. Kernen had to give up his job as a camera operator for SRF because of his artificial knee joint. "My doctor (...) made it clear to me that if I flew off hard and something broke out of my knee, it probably couldn't be repaired and the knee might have to be stiffened," explains Kernen.
Sonja Nef also says: "A fall could be devastating, because Lindsey has a knee made of metal. Period. No surgeon in the world would say that what Lindsey is doing is intelligent." Vonn can only lose in her comeback, says the 52-year-old.
Does the ski queen need the attention?
When she heard about Vonn's return rumors, she couldn't believe it at first, says Nef: "I thought: She can't be that stupid. But she obviously is - unfortunately. For me, Lindsey is ruining a lot of her image."
For the 2001 giant slalom world champion, the reasons for the risky sensational return are clear. "I believe that Lindsey can't cope in normal life, where she's not always the center of attention and not everything revolves around her. That's why I feel sorry for her," says Nef.
And Vonn? She responded to Nef and Kernen's warnings on X with ironic words: "Very nice words, Sonja and Bruno. I won't forget them."
