American Ski Queen Retires At 34
Lindsey Vonn Leaves Amazing Skiing Legacy Upon Calling It A Day
Lindsey Vonn, one time girlfriend of Tiger Woods, announced that the 2019 World Championships in Swedish resort Åre would bring the curtain down on a glittering career that has seen her make history and inspire people at every turn.
She revealed recently, "My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen... I'm just starting a new chapter. Don't lose faith in your dreams, keep fighting for what you love, and if you always give everything you have you'll be happy no matter what the outcome."
Painful crashes have finally taken their toll on both her knees, however the 34-year-old from Minnesota's capital Saint Paul put on a brave face until the end despite another nasty crash in the super-g race. A bruised face and ribs did not stop her from taking to the downhill start gate, and she completed a heroic run that resulted in a popular podium finish and a bronze medal.
Åre has been a special place for Vonn throughout her career. She won her first two World Championship medals (two silvers) at the Swedish resort in 2007 and also clinched the last of her 82 FIS World Cup victories at the World Cup finals on the same course last season.
Afterwards, she said: "It was so fun, I was literally the most nervous I've ever been in my entire life. I wanted to come down and be in the lead for one last time and to hear the crowd roar and to not crash. I'm always full tilt and always on the limit. I was worried that I'd charge too hard and not make it down for my last race, that's my worst nightmare."
Here is what friends, rivals, and key figures in Vonn's career thought of her.
Vonn's Head Coach Alex Hoedlmoser, who has worked closely with her since the beginning, said in an interview before the 2010 Winter Games, ”She was this tall,
skinny thing. Her set up and everything was just completely wrong for speed. Her knees were just wobbling around. It was pretty funny actually. But we could see right away that there was a lot of talent.”
Picabo Street, former US Olympic champion and Vonn's idol, “The faster she went, the bigger the smile she got on her face. You can't teach somebody to love the fall line like that little girl loved the fall line. I had never seen anybody ski as well as she could at that age; I knew the sky was the limit for her.”
Kaillie Humphries, Canadian double Olympic bobsleigh champion remarked, “These days, I know there are tons of young girls who have Lindsey Vonn posters in their rooms. They look at her and see the best in the world. She dominates. She gets rewarded. She lives the fairy-tale life that comes with being the best.”