Lindsey Vonn Reveals She's Coming Out of Retirement Ahead of 2026 Winter Olympics: 'Definitely Not Planned'

Vonn announced her retirement from competing during the 2018-2019 season, saying at the time that her "body [was] broken beyond repair"

Lindsey Vonn is returning to the slopes!

The Olympic skier revealed in an interview with The New York Times published Thursday, Nov. 14, that she’s coming out of retirement and rejoining the United States ski team after having a successful right-knee replacement surgery.

“I had a smile so wide it was coming through the back of my helmet,” Vonn, 40, recalled of skiing for the first time pain-free after the surgery, adding that her return to the sport was “amazing and definitely not planned.”

Her first major tournament since returning would be the World Cup circuit this winter season, though the 2026 Winter Olympics — which will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy — aren't that far off, either.

Related: Lindsey Vonn Excited to Bring Winter Olympics Back to Salt Lake City in 2034: 'We Have Everything' (Exclusive)

But despite the numerous possibilities on the horizon, Vonn noted to the Times that she’s taking things one step at a time.

“I’m trying not to get too far ahead of myself because I have quite a few hoops to jump through,” the athlete said. “Obviously, I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t hope to be racing. I have aspirations. I love to go fast. How fast can I go? I don’t know."

“But I’m not going to put myself in a position to fail,” Vonn continued. “My goal is to enjoy this, and hopefully that road takes me to World Cup races. I wouldn’t be back on the U.S. ski team if I didn’t have intentions.”

The professional alpine skier announced her retirement from the sport following the 2018-2019 season on Instagram, writing at the time that she has “accepted” that she “cannot continue ski racing” due to the injuries she’s faced.

Related: Lindsey Vonn Shares Inspiring Message Post-Surgery as She Reflects on Tough Times: 'Believe in Yourself'

“Despite extensive therapy, training and a knee brace, I am not able [to] make the turns necessary to compete the way I know I can," she said at the time. "My body is broken beyond repair and it isn’t letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP and it’s time for me to listen."

Vonn told PEOPLE in 2018 that she was proud of her accomplishments, despite not being able to achieve her goal of besting Ingemar Stenmark’s 86 World Cup wins (Vonn had 82).

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories.

“I’ve long surpassed the women’s World Cup record and I’ve done things in ski racing that no one’s ever done before, and I’m proud of that and what I’ve accomplished as a whole, she said. "And I don’t necessarily need this record to solidify anything or prove anything to myself or anybody else."

“I think it would be incredible, but I’m proud of myself no matter what,” Vonn added at the time. “And just knowing that gives me peace of mind and makes it a lot less nerve-wracking."