SAALBACH-HINTERGLEMM, Austria -- Lindsey Vonn is feeling sick with "a cold or the flu" but was planning on competing in the super-G at the Alpine skiing world championships Thursday as part of her return to ski racing at the age of 40.
"I definitely have a cold or the flu or something," Vonn said in an audio statement sent to The Associated Press on Wednesday. "Yesterday afternoon I started to really not feel well. Trying to do everything I can to recover."
On Instagram, Vonn posted a story that featured a photo of her wearing a mask and apparently inhaling something. "Current state ... could be better," she wrote.
She later posted about her return to worlds and wrote, "I wouldn't let something like [feeling sick] prevent me from racing after everything I've gone through to get here! I guess the competitor in me is still there."
Vonn placed 29th in Wednesday's second downhill training session. Vonn, a two-time world champion and the holder of eight total medals at the biggest event in skiing outside the Olympics, is also scheduled to race in the downhill Saturday and the team combined next week.
She is scheduled to start with the No. 30 bib in the super-G.
Mirjam Puchner of Austria led Wednesday's training session. Breezy Johnson, Vonn's American teammate, placed second for the second straight day.