Lindsey Vonn hires former ski great Aksel Lund Svindal as coach ahead of Olympic season

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KENNELBACH, Austria (AP) — Lindsey Vonn has added former ski great Aksel Lund Svindal to her coaching team as she prepares for next year's Winter Olympics.

The 40-year-old American skier, who won the gold medal in the downhill at the 2010 Games, returned to the sport last year with a new titanium knee and plans on competing at the Milan-Cortina Olympics in Italy from Feb. 6-22.

Vonn had to cut her career short in 2019 due to a series of crashes and injuries, but then she had two titanium pieces inserted into her right knee before her comeback.

Svindal, a two-time Olympic champion, will begin coaching Vonn at a training camp in Chile later this summer, according to a statement released Wednesday by Head, her equipment supplier.

“To have him officially on my team as we push for the Cortina Games is a huge boost,” said the 82-time World Cup winner. "This comeback is about pushing boundaries and proving what’s possible, and I believe Aksel will help give me the extra edge I will need on this ambitious journey. I am grateful to have him on my team and I couldn’t ask for a better partner.”

Svindal won four Olympic medals and is a five-time world champion. He retired after winning silver in the downhill in his final race at the 2019 world championships. He said he was "a bit surprised when Lindsey called me, but mostly honored.”

Vonn concluded her comeback season with a second-place finish in a World Cup super-G in March. It was her first World Cup podium spot since March 15, 2018, when she finished third in a super-G. A year later, she earned downhill bronze at the world championships.

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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing