• US ski star making shock comeback after five years away
• Vonn, 40, could make first appearance at Beaver Creek

Lindsey Vonn, the three-time Olympic medalist and four-time World Cup overall champion, announced Thursday that she plans to rejoin the US ski team with hopes of returning to competition this year.

The 40-year-old Minnesota native, who retired in 2019 citing the physical toll from a series of major injuries over the course of her 18-year career, told the New York Times that she had “retired with no intention of coming back”, but was startled to discover that she was pain-free after undergoing a partial right-knee replacement surgery in April.