Vonn medals in final race

Five days after crashing in super-G, Lindsey Vonn bounced back to win the bronze medal in the world championship downhill in Are, Sweden, on Sunday in the final race of her career.

“I laid it all on the line. That’s all I wanted to do today,” Vonn said. “I have to admit I was a little bit nervous, probably the most nervous I’ve ever been in my life. I wanted to finish strong so badly.”

It’s a medal that brings Vonn full circle: the American’s two silvers at the 2007 worlds on the same course in Are were the first two major championship medals of her career.

When Vonn crossed the finish line she had a big smile on her face, waved and bowed to the crowd.

Vonn had been planning on retiring in December but she recently moved up her retirement plans due to persistent pain in both of her surgically repaired knees. She then crashed in Tuesday’s super-G, coming away with a black eye and a bruised rib.

Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia defended her title from the 2017 worlds, finishing 0.23 seconds ahead of Corinne Suter of Switzerland and 0.49 ahead of Vonn.