Vonn to go ‘full throttle’ in last race of her career
ARE, SWEDEN >> Anyone expecting Lindsey Vonn to take it easy in her last race should think again.
Doesn’t matter if she’s still banged up from a crash with a black eye, a sore rib — not to mention the pain in both of her knees that forced her to move up her retirement.
“Whether I’m ready or not,” Vonn said. “I’m just going to go full throttle.”
It will be a fitting way to go out for the record-setting skier in Sunday’s downhill at the world championships.
Norwegian great Aksel Lund Svindal set the stage for Vonn by winning the silver medal in the men’s downhill Saturday in his last race.
After an emotional moment when he leaned back, stretched his arms out and looked to the sky, Svindal was all smiles despite finishing a close second in the downhill at the world championships.
Amid a crowd of thousands of flag-waving Norwegian fans, Svindal playfully pointed at Norwegian teammate Kjetil Jansrud after finishing 0.02 seconds behind in a race that was characterized by thick fog and heavy snowfall, which caused an hour’s delay.
“She didn’t win 82 World Cups by being lucky,” Svindal said. “If she gets a medal, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. It just comes down to that one day and it has to happen tomorrow. Good luck!”
Vonn’s 82 wins are the most all time by a female skier and trail only the 86 won by Swedish great Ingemark Stenmark.
To honor Stenmark, Vonn will wear a race suit featuring the colors of the Swedish flag, blue and yellow.
“Obviously we’re in Sweden but also because of Stenmark and how much he has meant to the sport,” Vonn said. “It’s obviously something that has motivated me for a long time — his record — so I’m just paying my respects to him and this country.”
Along with Vonn’s dad, two of her siblings and one of her best friends, Stenmark will also be in attendance.
“I’ve been texting him and he wasn’t planning on being here and I was like, ‘Please, please, please,’ and so he’s coming,” Vonn said. “I’m really, really, really excited.”
Vonn, 34, performed interviews following downhill training Friday, a U.S. team member helped keep her muscles from tightening up with an cordless electrical vibration massage device. She’s still recovering from her crash in super-G on Tuesday.
“I’m really stiff,” she said. “Things are pulling in ways they shouldn’t be pulling and sometimes my ribs come out. It’s not something that’s new to me. Usually I can manage to where it’s not a problem.”
A medal would bring Vonn full circle: Her two silvers at the 2007 worlds in Are were the first major championship successes of her career. She also won the downhill in Are at last year’s World Cup finals.
“I have a lot of great memories in Are,” Vonn said. “I really feel Sweden feels like home to me, very similar like Minnesota, flat and cold. I love it, it’s beautiful.” Afterward, it will be time to celebrate. “Oh yeah,” she said. “Full on, full gas, all day.”
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
What the world of skiing and beyond said about Lindsey Vonn, who is retiring after the downhill on Sunday: Bode Miller, retired U.S. skier: “There are so many different ways to measure the best of all time and she basically checks every category, winning or being very strong in all five disciplines. Her wins speak for themselves, her longevity, her personality, and her everything.” Aksel Lund Svindal, Norwegian skier: “She has a reach that goes beyond just racing and that’s something that everyone involved in skiing should be grateful for.” Billie Jean King, U.S. tennis great: “You are a true champion who never quit. Be well, Lindsey, and know that you have given your fans, and most importantly, the next generation of skiers, the gifts of perseverance, athleticism, bravery, and fighting spirit! Here’s to the next chapter!” Gian-Franco Kasper, president of the International Ski Federation: “She will leave a big hole when she leaves but don’t forget all the athletes, all the big champions have to finish their careers one day. It’s the same with Lindsey. She was one of our really great ambassadors; she did a lot of skiing. She is a PR machine, if you want, for our sport.” Mikaela Shiffrin, U.S. skier: “She’s had this amazing, incredible, inspiring career and she’s really paved the way in U.S. ski racing — and in ski racing all over the world — but especially in the U.S. for the next generation to come up. We have a lot to be thankful for because of that.”
Ester Ledecka, Czech skiersnowboarder: “It’s hard to explain how great she is. It’s something very unusual in not just the skiing world but the whole sports world, because there are just a few people who are able to compete in the highest level — always top three — for that long time. It’s something very unique and very special and that’s why I admire her. When I (learned of her retirement plans) this is very sad for me because she is my idol.”
Paul Kristofic, U.S. women’s head coach: “That never-giveup attitude is something that everyone can take away from. She has created that character and lived it. Those are life lessons that everybody can take. Give it your all and never give up. That’s a very strong legacy.”
Julia Mancuso, retired U.S. skier: “Lindsey always had that extra gear to put her on the edge where she either won or crashed hard. It’s sad to see all those crashes catch up with her and have to end without breaking the record of wins, which we all know she was capable of. She made racing exciting.”
PK Subban, Vonn’s boyfriend and defenseman for Nashville Predators: “Not only the greatest skier of all time but one of the greatest athletes & olympians EVER!”