VONN’S A BRONZE
Vonn settles for bronze in downhill, has one more race in Olympic career
Vail’s Lindsey Vonn reacts after crossing the finish line of the women’s downhill at the Jeongseon Alpine Center on Wednesday at the Winter Games in PyeongChang. Vonn won the bronze medal in her last Olympic downhill race.
When it became clear that Lindsey Vonn would walk away from her last Olympic downhill with a bronze medal Wednesday and the finality of it began to sink in, her passion for the sport and its camaraderie shown through a flood of tears.
“I gave it my best shot,” Vonn told NBC’s finish-area interviewer. “I tried so hard, and I worked my butt off. I’m so proud to have competed with such amazing girls. My teammates have really supported me, and we’ve helped each other. Most of us have been injured pretty severely. It’s been a fun ride.
“It’s sad. This is my last (Olympic) downhill. I wish I could keep going. I have so much fun, I love what I do, my body just probably can’t take another four years. I’m proud to have competed for my country, I’m proud to have given it my all.”
There were other emotions involved for the 33-year-old Minnesota native and longtime Vail resident, particularly from the death last November of her beloved paternal grandfather, Don Kildow of Milton, Wis.
“It’s been really hard for me to
not get emotional for some many reasons, especially because of my grandfather,” Vonn said. “I wanted to win so much because of him, but I still think I made him proud. Our family never gives up, and I never gave up. I kept working hard, and I’m really proud of this medal.”
Glenwood Springs racer Alice McKennis had the race of her life, finishing fifth.
The downhill shaped up as a duel between Vonn and Italy’s Sofia Goggia, a rival and good friend. Goggia took the gold medal, and Vonn appeared to have the silver medal wrapped up until Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel sprang a surprise from the 19th start position to grab the silver. Mowinckel, whose best-ever World Cup race finish is sixth, finished 0.09 of a second behind Goggia. Vonn was 0.47 behind.
It was the second Olympic bronze medal of Vonn’s career, along with one from the super-G at the 2010 Vancouver Games, where she took gold in downhill. She was unable to race in the Sochi Games four years ago because of two knee surgeries in the previous year. She plans to race at least another year in hopes of overtaking Ingemar Stenmark as the winningest World Cup racer of all time. He has 86 wins, and she stands at 81.
“If you think about what’s happened over the past eight years and what I’ve been through … you’ve got to keep things in perspective,” Vonn said. “Of course I would have liked a gold medal, but honestly this is amazing, and I’m so proud.”
McKennis, who grew up on a cattle ranch on the Western Slope, made her Olympic debut eight years ago in Vancouver at age 20 and has only one World Cup podium, a win in January of 2013. Two months later, she suffered the second tibial plateau knee fracture of her career, this one requiring a plate and 11 screws to rebuild and knocking her out of the Sochi Olympics.
In what has been a disappointing Olympics for American alpine racers, the downhillers had a good day. Breezy Johnson, a 22-year-old from Jackson, Wyo., finished seventh. The U.S. put three women in the top 10.
The alpine program concludes Thursday with the women’s alpine combined, in which Mikaela Shiffrin will be a favorite. Vonn will compete, but she has very little slalom training in recent years.
“If you think about what’s happened over the past eight years and what I’ve been through … you’ve got to keep things in perspective. Of course I would have liked a gold medal, but honestly this is amazing, and I’m so proud.”
Vail’s Lindsey Vonn