Published on: 12-Feb-2026
With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina underway, some of the most inspiring stories aren’t just the athletes who are competing — it’s the athletes who almost weren’t there at all. Not long ago, a major knee or orthopedic injury was a tragic end to Olympic dreams. Today, many of the athletes preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics are doing so after ACL tears, fractures, and even joint replacement. Their return to elite competition reflects a transformation in sports medicine—where precise surgery, individualized rehab, and data-driven training are redefining what “career-ending” really means.
Across skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports, a wave of athletes has battled serious orthopedic and knee injuries, fought through grueling rehabilitation, and positioned themselves to compete again at the highest level. Their journeys reflect not only individual resilience but also remarkable advances in sports medicine that make elite comebacks increasingly possible. Here are a few of their remarkable stories:
Lindsey Vonn: The Comeback Everyone Thought Was Impossible
Perhaps no story is as stunning as that of Lindsey Vonn. The American skiing legend, 41, retired in 2019 after years of knee pain and multiple surgeries. But a partial knee replacement transformed her outlook — and her ability to train and race. After undergoing this advanced procedure, she not only returned to competitive skiing but began posting strong World Cup results that suggest she could compete at the 2026 Games. Her comeback underscores both surgical and rehabilitative progress allowing athletes to return from what were once considered career-ending injuries.
Sarah Warren: Resilience on Ice
Illinois speedskater Sarah Warren brings one of the most hard-earned Olympic journeys to Milan-Cortina. A former Division I soccer player, Warren endured multiple ACL tears and a long series of knee surgeries before fully committing to long-track speedskating. Through disciplined rehabilitation, strength rebuilding, and movement retraining, she returned to elite form and earned her Olympic berth in the 500 meters at U.S. Trials.
From a sports medicine standpoint, Warren’s story highlights the power of comprehensive rehab after repeat ligament injuries. Her ability to restore stability, power, and confidence on the ice underscores how modern orthopedic care — paired with patient, progressive training — can help athletes not only return to sport, but reach the Olympic level.
Federica Brignone: Grit and Hours of Rehab
Italian alpine star Federica Brignone is another testament to sheer determination and modern orthopedic care. After suffering multiple leg fractures and a torn ACL in 2025, Brignone has spent seven hours a day on rehabilitation — physiotherapy, strength conditioning, and motor retraining — in hopes of racing on home snow. Whether she’ll fully recover in time remains uncertain, but her commitment highlights the long, disciplined process elite athletes undergo after severe injuries.
Mikaela Shiffrin: Returning from the Unusual
While not a knee injury this cycle, two-time Olympic champion Mikaela Shiffrin exemplifies modern athletic recovery. After a frightening crash in late 2024 that required surgery and months of physical therapy, she returned to the World Cup circuit and steadily regained competitive form — a reminder that even serious musculoskeletal injuries can be overcome with meticulous rehab.
Kirsty Muir: From ACL to Podium Potential
Freestyle skiing prodigy Kirsty Muir battled a torn ACL and meniscus — among the toughest injuries for any athlete — and then underwent shoulder surgery, too. She spent a year rebuilding strength, neuromuscular control, and confidence. When she rejoined competition, she didn’t just return — she won a World Cup gold before even qualifying for the Olympics. Her journey highlights how integrated rehabilitation, sport-specific training, and mental resilience combine to restore elite performance.
Valérie Grenier: Skiing Back to the Top
Canadian alpine skier Valérie Grenier will compete at her third Winter Games after a circuitous path that included multiple significant injuries, surgeries, and lengthy rehab periods. Despite fractures to her tibia, fibula, and talus early in her career — and other setbacks — Grenier returned to World Cup racing and earned podium finishes in giant slalom during the 2025-26 season.
Her persistence through recovery and steady return to form exemplifies the holistic approach that sports medicine takes today — combining surgical intervention, progressive strength training, neuromuscular conditioning, and patience.
Niina Petrokina: Achilles Triumph
Estonian figure skating standout Niina Petrokina provides one of the most dramatic comeback stories of the season. After enduring prolonged pain and ultimately undergoing Achilles tendon surgery in late 2025, Petrokina fought back to defend her European Championship title with a personal-best performance. Her ability to land clean triple jumps just months after surgery highlights how surgical precision and structured rehab can restore elite athletic ability in technically demanding sports.
Petrokina’s comeback has positioned her as a contender and confirmed member of Estonia’s Olympic team, showing that even a serious tendon injury doesn’t have to sideline an Olympic dream when recovery is managed carefully.
The Science Behind the Comebacks
These comebacks are not simply stories of grit. Advances in orthopedic surgery — from arthroscopic reconstructions to partial joint replacements and biologic augmentation — have changed what’s possible for athletes. Postoperative rehabilitation protocols now emphasize individualized strength progression, movement quality, neuromuscular retraining, and load management guided by evidence-based practice. Together, these approaches maximize tissue healing while minimizing reinjury risk.
Final Thoughts
Behind every scan and surgery is an athlete facing fear, frustration, and doubt. Yet their return to the world stage shows that recovery isn’t just physical — it’s psychological. Supportive coaching, sports psychology, and athlete-centered rehab create a foundation for not just returning, but thriving. As we watch the Games this month, these comeback stories will be among the most compelling highlights — proof that the human body, aided by science and relentless effort, can defy expectations and chase dreams across the finish line.
The post Healing and the Hunt for Gold: Winter Olympians Overcome Injury appeared first on Sports Medicine Weekly By Dr. Brian Cole.