Lindsey Vonn is enjoying a break from American politics while she competes in Europe

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn’s return to ski racing at age 40 with a new titanium knee has come with an added bonus for the American: She doesn’t pay attention to politics at home while she’s competing in Europe.

“There’s a lot going on in the U.S. and not all of it positive,” Vonn said Sunday when asked by The Associated Press if she was going to watch Donald Trump’s second inauguration as president on Monday. “So I’m just excited to kind of have a break.

“That’s what I love about ski racing — that when I’m in the starting gate, that’s all I’m thinking about,” Vonn added. “I’m not thinking about the world and my life and what else is going on. I’m just thinking about going fast and I like that simplicity.”

In 2017, Vonn told CNN that she wouldn’t be representing Trump at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, where she went on to win a bronze medal in downhill.

“Well I hope to represent the people of the United States, not the president,” Vonn said then when discussing what it means to compete for the U.S. ski team.

Vonn, who returned to racing last month after nearly six years of retirement, fell Sunday but avoided injury in a World Cup super-G on the course to be used at next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.

On Thursday, Vonn told the AP that she plans to retire again after competing in one final Olympics in 2026.

And what does Vonn think about TikTok being banned in the U.S. and losing contact on that social media platform with her followers?

Vonn replied with a laugh, “I’m too old for TikTok.”

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AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports