Lindsey Vonn dreams of putting a bright spot in her career on her favorite slope in Italy // Photo: outsideonline.com
Vonn’s results, far superior to those of other U.S. alpine skiers, have secured her a spot in the Olympic downhill scheduled for Feb. 8 in Cortina d’Ampezzo. This place, 250 kilometers north of Milan, regularly hosts World Cup events and occasionally becomes a venue for the Alpine Ski World Championships. On the slopes of Cortina d’Ampezzo, the 41-year-old native of St. Paul (USA) has won 12 times in her career – six each in downhill and Super G.
For the experienced skier, the upcoming Games will be the fifth in her career. Lindsey Vonn took part in the Olympics in Salt Lake City (USA) in 2002, Turin (Italy) in 2006, Vancouver (Canada) in 2010 and Pyeongchang (South Korea) in 2018. In Vancouver she became an Olympic champion in downhill and bronze medalist in Super G, in Pyeongchang she added to her medal collection with a bronze medal in downhill. In 2019, the athlete announced the end of her career and did not participate in the Winter Olympics held in Beijing, China in 2022.
In November 2024, Vonn announced the resumption of her career. She attributed her decision to the fact that the location of the upcoming Olympic competition holds special significance for her. “It just so happens that Cortina d’Ampezzo is significant for my entire sporting career. It was here that I stood on the podium for the first time and broke the record of World Cup victories. I think it will be the perfect place to finish my career,” said the Olympic champion in an interview with the Italian electronic publication OA Sport.
Despite her advanced age in alpine skiing, Lindsey Vonn continues to win World Cup downhill victories. This past weekend, she was the best at the stage in Zauchensee, Austria. The skier leads the overall standings by more than 120 points over her closest pursuer, 22-year-old Emma Eicher of Germany. Laura Pirovano, 28, of Italy, who is third in the overall standings, has scored half as many points as the American after four World Cup rounds (167 vs. 340).
Vonn also rounds out the top three in the overall standings in Super G. The season leader, Alice Robinson of New Zealand, is 24 years old, while runner-up Sophia Goje is 33. Romane Miradoli, representing France and one point behind Vonn, is 10 years younger than the American. Italy’s Elena Curtoni is 34, and the gap between her and her more experienced rival is 20 points.
Even in superb physical shape, Vonn is not prioritizing winning the Olympics in Italy. “I can approach the Games calmly and freely, building on the incredible knowledge and experience I have gained in the past. The fact that I left sport for five years allowed me to look at everything from a different angle. I have a better understanding of myself and have gained more confidence not only as a skier but also as a person. Overall, I feel better than ever and I’m looking forward to getting out on the start line. I had to fight pain for a long time, but now I’m living life to the fullest – and that’s amazing. No matter what happens at the Olympics, my life has already changed forever. I am no longer a person who suffers. I am a person who enjoys living each day. A lot of people doubted me, but I never doubted myself,” The Athletic quoted the athlete as saying.
To return to the top in her favorite sport, Vonn had to triumph not only over her rivals, but also over her body – in 2024, six months before resuming her career, the skier had her knee replaced. She had previously suffered a number of injuries, the most serious of which was a torn cruciate ligament in her knee after a fall on a steep slope in Schladming, Austria, during a Super G competition in 2013. After that fall, Vonn spent more than a year recovering and was forced to miss the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, Russia.
The alpine skier admitted that that injury was a turning point in her career. “Before that fall, my career was going well because I was strong and healthy. This is the first injury that caused me to end my season early. I was used to a certain rhythm of life at the end of the season: testing gear, practicing and preparing for the upcoming winter. But then everything went differently for me for the first time. Every athlete faces this, and everyone has the same problems. I’m happy that I was able to use the free time to spend with friends and family, but I’m excited to get back on the snow,” the athlete shared her emotions at the time.
Another return of the famous skier had to wait five years for the entire professional community. Lindsey Vonn is so brightly spends the season that it is as if there were no long years of absence, and her age – much less. “I realize I’m 41 years old and I can’t play ‘dice’ with time… But I’m close to winning, it’s very important to me. After the Olympics, I plan to finish my World Cup performance. In 2019, I released the documentary “The Final Season”, but now it is certain that this season will be the final one,” summarized the American athlete.
The XXV Winter Olympic Games will be held in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in northern Italy from February 6-22.
