Lindsey Vonn reacts to backlash over her comeback as skiing world praises Marcel Hirscher for similar return

American ski legend Lindsey Vonn has spoken out after new retirement rumors began spreading online. The Olympic champion quickly shut them down and made it clear she is not done yet.

The discussion started when a fan account on X suggested that Vonn might soon retire. The comment spread fast, and many people began debating her future again. Vonn responded directly, writing, “Who said I was retiring?” But the conversation did not stop there. Instead, it opened a bigger debate about how women athletes are treated compared to men.Vonn said she believes criticism around her comeback and career decisions shows clear sexism in sport.

She pointed to the very different reactions when another skiing star, Marcel Hirscher, returned to competition. According to Vonn, the reactions were completely opposite. When Hirscher announced his comeback, fans and media praised him. When she returned to skiing after surgery, many people questioned her decision and even criticized her personally.

The Olympic champion said the contrast shows how female athletes are often judged differently.

Lindsey Vonn questions comeback criticism as Marcel Hirscher praised while Mikaela Shiffrin points to gender bias

When Lindsey Vonn officially announced her return to competitive skiing in November 2024, it surprised many fans. Earlier that year she had undergone a partial knee replacement. At 40 years old, some critics questioned whether returning to racing was the right move.A few former athletes even made strong comments about it. Austrian Olympic champion Michaela Dorfmeister reportedly said, “She should see a psychologist.

Does she want to kill herself?” Another Austrian skiing legend, Franz Klammer, also criticized the comeback, saying Vonn had “gone completely mad.”However, Vonn pointed out that male athletes returning at an older age often receive praise instead of criticism. She mentioned the comeback of Marcel Hirscher, the eight time overall FIS Alpine Ski World Cup champion.Vonn explained the difference clearly. She said,“No one asked Marcel if his life was fulfilled outside of ski racing, or if he needed to see a psychologist.”Hirscher himself even noticed the difference in reactions. Speaking about the criticism aimed at Vonn, he said:“From my point of view, it is very unfair. I can’t understand those messages because for me it is just inspiring.”The debate around women athletes facing tougher judgment has been discussed before in skiing.Another American star, Mikaela Shiffrin, faced a similar moment during the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

After failing to finish two of her strongest events, TV cameras showed her sitting alone on the course for more than 20 minutes.Some viewers felt the moment was too harsh to broadcast. Others defended the coverage.At the time, NBC executive producer Molly Solomon said:“We have an obligation in that moment to cover the moment. There’s no script when there’s a wipeout on the slopes or a fall in figure skating.”She also admitted that women’s sports still face a double standard.“Here we are in 2022 and we have a double standard in coverage of women’s sports. Women’s sports should be analyzed through the same lens as the men.”For Vonn and Shiffrin, these moments show a bigger issue. Even today, some female athletes still feel they are judged more harshly than men in elite sport.