Lindsey Vonn said she doesn’t expect to race in the World Cup season-opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, on Saturday, according to reporter Brian Pinelli, a little more than two months after Vonn fractured an ankle in a New Zealand training crash.
Vonn has been cleared to ski and will return to training on snow in Europe on Thursday, according to her social media.
Vonn also missed Soelden the last two seasons as she worked her way back from major knee surgeries. She is best at the speed events of downhill and super-G. The first World Cup speed event of this season is Dec. 4.
Her last giant slalom victory was Jan. 26, 2013. She would go 23 months before her next win in any discipline on Dec. 6, 2014.
Vonn said at the end of last season that she hopes to contend more in giant slalom this season as she chases two-time reigning World Cup overall champion Anna Fenninger of Austria.
MORE: Upcoming milestones for Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin
@lindseyvonn on season opener, "I haven't made any definite plans on #Soelden yet. I'm going to go there, get on snow & see how I feel"
— Brian Pinelli (@Brian_Pinelli) October 19, 2015
@lindseyvonn on racing Sat. "It definitely would be aggressive & asking a lot of me and my ankle, but it feels really good."#Soelden
— Brian Pinelli (@Brian_Pinelli) October 19, 2015
@lindseyvonn on #Soelden GS, "I don't want to 100% rule it out, but I'd say it's more likely than not that I wouldn't race."#Austria #FIS
— Brian Pinelli (@Brian_Pinelli) October 19, 2015