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Featured Image Credit: Getty
Topics: Olympics
James Taylor
An Olympic star has shared a topless photo of herself on Instagram as part of a viral social media trend just weeks before the Winter Olympics get underway.
Over the past week, a trend has emerged online in which celebrities and other high-profile figures post throwback photos from 2016.
The latest star to join the trend is former Olympic champion and alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn.
The 41-year-old American, who won gold at the 2010 Winter Olympics, posted 20 photos from 2016 as part of the trend.
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Among them was a photo from a Sports Illustrated shoot in Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, where Vonn posed on the shore wearing only a bikini bottom with her back to the camera.
She also shared other highlights from the year, including celebrations after a victory at Cortina, training in the Italian mountains and doing pull-ups while covered in full body paint.
The post caught the attention of other sports stars, including former tennis player Caroline Wozniacki.
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In the comments, the Dane wrote: "Our body paint shoot!! Also, you haven’t aged a day!!!"
Although the Instagram throwback celebrated plenty of highlights, 2016 was also a challenging year for Vonn.
According to the Daily Mail, in February she suffered a serious crash in Andorra that required her knee to be drained.
Now, Vonn is preparing for her fifth Winter Olympics, which are set to begin next month.
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She has retired twice in the past, but comes into the Milan Olympics having impressed over the previous year.
She returned to competition in December 2024 and earned her first World Cup podium in March 2025.
Last month, she became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner at St Moritz, securing her first victory since 2018.
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Ahead of that win, she spoke about how she felt physically prepared.
Vonn said: "Physically, I'm in possibly the best shape I've ever been in.
"And my body doesn't hurt, so that's the best part of all."
She also highlighted the importance of her summer training when she focused on improving her strength.
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She explained: "My goal was to get a lot stronger this summer.
"I was thinner than I would have liked last season. I was still quite a bit lighter than I was when I was racing in my prime."
The Milano Cortina Games begin on February 6 and run through February 22, with Vonn hoping to add to her collection of three Olympic medals.