Amanda Balionis recently showed her appreciation for Lindsey Vonn as the legendary skier attempts to compete in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy despite a freshly ruptured anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).
Following a crash in Switzerland that required her to be airlifted to a hospital, the 41-year-old Vonn remains determined to participate in the upcoming downhill event in Cortina, Italy. Balionis, who has interviewed the champion in the past, took to social media to highlight Vonn’s legendary toughness in the face of this latest physical setback.
Balionis wrote on her Instagram story:
“She is one of one. I did a Q&A with her a few years back and she went through all of the injuries she competed through…I’m not sure
there is a tougher competitor out there period.”
Vonn’s injury occurred just as she was peaking in her professional comeback, which began in December 2024 after a five-year retirement and a partial knee replacement. Before the accident, she was leading the World Cup downhill standings and was considered a top favorite for Olympic gold.
While Vonn acknowledges that the torn ligament and meniscus damage have lowered her chances of a win, she recently told reporters that her knee feels surprisingly stable and pain-free during light practice runs. She is currently taking her recovery day by day, with her main focus being to simply reach the starting gate this Sunday.
“This is not an unknown for me I’ve done this before. I wish I wasn’t in this position but I am and I will do my best. I will not go home regretting not trying, I will do everything in my power to be in that starting gate,” she said.
Amanda Balionis’s high praise for Vonn comes from a career spent on the sidelines of major sporting events. A Hofstra University graduate, Balionis has covered numerous iconic moments since joining CBS Sports, primarily across the NFL and golf circuits. She kicked off her 2026 PGA Tour broadcasting season at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines, where Justin Rose took home the title.
Amanda Balionis Shares Behind-the-Scenes Look at Her Busy PGA Tour Start
Amanda Balionis is used to a fast-paced life. Right after finishing her NFL work for the season, she moved straight into golf coverage at Torrey Pines. Following the Farmers Insurance Open on February 1, she posted a video looking back at a week that mixed her professional career with her charity work. She captioned her post:
“What. A. Week. There’s nothing better than a home game that starts with our most successful @puppiesandgolf fundraiser yet and ends at gorgeous Torrey Pines with a great champion. Onto Phoenix!”
The busy week started with a “Puppies and Golf” block party in San Diego. This event was for her non-profit, which helps military veterans by pairing them with rescue dogs. The day included golf games and pet adoptions, and Balionis even joined in on some putting contests.
Once the tournament started, she returned to her role with CBS Sports to interview the field’s top players. In another post, she shared highlights from her talks with winner Justin Rose and Brooks Koepka, who was playing in his first PGA Tour event in years. Reflecting on the action, Balionis wrote:
“At 45-years-old @justinprose99 set a new scoring record at the @farmersinsopen while also becoming the oldest player to win at Torrey Pines. He is so clearly on a mission to prove that his best is yet to come and the results this week may just be the beginning 👀 we also had the pleasure to welcome @bkoepka back to the PGA TOUR. He embraced all of the questions and requests with grace and the fans embraced him in a special way.”
Koepka, who made his first start following his return, ended the week at four under par. With the California event finished, Amanda Balionis is now traveling to Phoenix for her next assignment.
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