Winter Olympics Special Report
Lindsey Vonn lifts her middle finger in the Southern California sun. Vonn, the Olympic gold-medal skier, all-time leader in World Cup downhill wins, and rare figure in her sport whose talent, charisma, and celebrity have transcended the snow-covered slopes, is hiking a canyon near her Beverly Hills home. Not so long ago, this might have seemed unfathomable, as she struggled with not just standard wear and tear that comes from decades of competing at a professional level but also swelling and pain caused by numerous crashes while flying down mountains. Since her partial knee-replacement surgery in the spring of 2024, however, Vonn, 41, has felt like a new person.
The gesture, though, is not just one of defiance as she walks briskly on the somewhat hilly…
