Lindsey Vonn

1.1. Childhood and Early Influences

Lindsey Caroline Kildow was born on October 18, 1984, in St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the daughter of Linda Anne (née Krohn) and Alan Lee Kildow. She grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota, located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. Her father has Irish ancestry, while her mother's background is German and Norwegian. Vonn began skiing at the age of two, quickly progressing into Erich Sailer's renowned development program at Buck Hill in Burnsville. Her father, who had won a national junior title himself before an injury at 18, reportedly pushed her intensely in her early development.

At nine years old, Kildow had a pivotal meeting with Olympic gold medalist ski racer Picabo Street, who became her hero and role model. This encounter left such a strong impression on Street that she later mentored Kildow. Observing Kildow ski for the first time in 1999, Street was impressed by her natural ability to follow the fall line, remarking, "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." Kildow commuted to Colorado for several years for training before her family eventually relocated to Vail, Colorado, in the late 1990s to facilitate her exclusive focus on skiing. While acknowledging the benefits of the move, Vonn later expressed missing traditional childhood experiences such as sleepovers and school dances, feeling a sense of guilt that her siblings also had to leave their friends behind to join her in Vail.

1.2. Education

Vonn pursued her academic education through University of Missouri High School, an online program provided by the university's Center for Distance and Independent Study. Beyond her formal schooling, Vonn is fluent in German. Demonstrating an interest in business and post-athletic career development, she later participated in Harvard Business School's four-day "The Business of Entertainment, Media, and Sports" program.

2.1. Early Years and World Cup Debut (2000-2005)

Vonn's initial instruction in skiing came from her grandfather, Don Kildow, in Milton, Wisconsin. Her childhood was characterized by intense skiing, including 16-hour drives from Minnesota to Vail, Colorado, for family ski vacations, a time she remembers fondly, with her mother singing along to Eric Clapton tapes.

In the late 1990s, Vonn and her family made the crucial decision to move to Colorado permanently to focus solely on skiing at Ski Club Vail. In 1999, Vonn achieved a significant milestone, becoming one of the first American athletes to win the "Cadets" slalom events at Italy's Trofeo Topolino di Sci Alpino. After advancing through the ranks of the United States Ski Team, she made her World Cup debut at the age of 16 on November 18, 2000, in Park City, Utah.

In her Olympic debut at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Vonn, then 17, competed in both slalom and combined events, with her best result being a sixth-place finish in the combined. On March 4, 2003, she earned a silver medal in the downhill at the World Junior Championship in Puy-Saint-Vincent, France.

A pivotal moment in her training philosophy came during a bike ride with fellow ski racer Julia Mancuso and Mancuso's father, Ciro. Initially lagging far behind due to her limited biking experience, Vonn realized she needed to drastically change her training regimen and attitude to achieve success. On March 24, 2004, she secured the downhill silver medal at the U.S. Alpine Championships at Mt. Alyeska Resort, Alaska. Earlier that year, in January 2004, she achieved her first World Cup podium with a third-place finish in downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Her maiden World Cup victory followed in December 2004 at Lake Louise, Alberta, where she won the downhill. She went on to secure five more World Cup podium finishes in the subsequent two months.

At her first World Championships in Bormio, Italy, in 2005, she competed in four races. She finished fourth in both the downhill and combined events and ninth in the super-G, but did not finish the giant slalom. Vonn attributed her performance challenges to the unexpected presence of her father, with whom she had a strained relationship, which reportedly unsettled her before the competition.

2.2. Rise to Prominence and First Olympic Medals (2006-2010)

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Vonn (then Lindsey Kildow) demonstrated immense grit. Despite clocking the second-best time in the first downhill practice run, she crashed in the second, leading to a helicopter evacuation to Turin and an overnight hospitalization for a bruised hip. Remarkably, she returned to the slopes two days later to compete, finishing eighth. This tenacious performance earned her the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award, recognized by American fans, fellow Team USA athletes, former Olympians, and media members for embodying the Olympic spirit.

Vonn secured her first "big race" medals at the 2007 World Championships in Åre, Sweden, winning silver in both downhill and super-G. However, a training crash before the slalom resulted in a low-level ACL sprain to her right knee, prematurely ending her season four weeks early. Despite this, she finished third for the season in both the downhill and super-G disciplines of the 2007 Alpine Skiing World Cup.

In the 2008 Alpine Skiing World Cup, Lindsey Vonn clinched her first overall World Cup title, becoming the second American woman to do so after Tamara McKinney in 1983. This marked a historic moment for U.S. skiing as Bode Miller also won the men's title, completing the first American sweep of overall titles in 25 years. Vonn also earned the World Cup season title in downhill and the U.S. Alpine Championships combined title, making it her best season to date. She set a new American record with ten World Cup downhill victories, including a win in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, on March 8.

Vonn continued her dominance in the 2009 Alpine Skiing World Cup, repeating as overall World Cup champion, downhill champion, and also securing the super-G season championship by winning the final race. During this season, her victory in the super-G at Tarvisio, Italy, in February, surpassed McKinney's American record of 18 World Cup victories. Her nine World Cup wins that season also set an American single-season record, exceeding Phil Mahre's total of eight in 1982. At the 2009 World Championships in Val-d'Isère, France, Vonn claimed her first world championship, becoming the first American woman to win the world super-G title. In the super combined event, she finished first in the downhill portion and seemingly second overall after a strong slalom performance but was disqualified for splitting a gate. Three days later, she won gold in the downhill. During early 2009, she appeared in Alka-Seltzer television commercials to support the U.S. Ski Team. In the summer of 2009, Vonn switched her equipment sponsor from Rossignol to Head skis. In October 2009, she received the Skieur d'Or Award from the International Association of Ski Journalists for her outstanding performances.

In December 2009, Vonn suffered a bruised arm from a crash during the opening run of a World Cup giant slalom. Despite the injury, she continued racing as there was no fracture to prevent her participation in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Skiing with her arm in a brace, Vonn secured three consecutive victories (two downhills and a super-G) in Haus im Ennstal, Austria, from January 8-10, 2010. These wins elevated her to second among American skiers in all-time World Cup career victories with 28, surpassing Mahre and trailing only Bode Miller. On January 14, Vonn was named Colorado Athlete of the Year for 2009. By winning a super-G race just before the 2010 Winter Olympics, she clinched her second consecutive super-G discipline title. Vonn ultimately won the overall World Cup title for the third consecutive year, along with the discipline titles in downhill, super-G, and combined. Her victory in the final super-G of the season brought her total World Cup wins to 33, surpassing Miller for the most World Cup victories by an American. Her third consecutive overall World Cup title equaled Mahre's American record and made her the third woman to achieve this, following Petra Kronberger and Annemarie Moser-Pröll. Vonn was also recognized as the 2010 Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Vonn intended to compete in all five women's alpine events. On February 10, she disclosed a severe shin bruise sustained in training the previous week, describing the pain as "excruciating" and casting doubt on her ability to compete effectively. However, unseasonably warm weather led to poor snow conditions and several alpine events being postponed, providing Vonn with crucial additional time to heal. On February 17, in her first event, Vonn triumphantly won the gold medal in the downhill at Whistler Blackcomb, finishing 0.56 seconds ahead of her U.S. rival Julia Mancuso. This historic win marked the first Olympic gold medal for an American woman in downhill skiing.

In her second event, the super combined, Vonn posted the fastest time in the downhill portion but crashed during the slalom segment when she failed to navigate a right-hand gate. She confirmed her shin injury was not a factor in this fall; gold and silver went to Maria Riesch and Julia Mancuso, respectively. In her third event, the super-G, Vonn finished third, earning a bronze medal behind Andrea Fischbacher and Tina Maze. She later reflected that she did not ski the final section of the course with sufficient aggression, costing her the victory. Her fourth event, the giant slalom, was plagued by fog affecting visibility. Vonn crashed in her first run, breaking her fourth finger and leading to her disqualification. In her fifth and final event, the slalom, Vonn again lost control and straddled a gate, resulting in another disqualification.

2.3. Dominance and All-Event Wins (2011-2012)

After three consecutive overall World Cup titles, Vonn faced stiff competition from Maria Riesch of Germany in the 2011 Alpine Ski World Cup season. Riesch had a strong start, winning two downhills in Lake Louise, Alberta, a venue where Vonn had previously secured seven victories. While Vonn consistently achieved podium finishes in speed races, she struggled in several slalom events, failing to finish. Riesch, with five podiums in the first six slaloms, established a significant lead in the overall standings by the end of January.

At the 2011 World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Vonn competed while recovering from a concussion she had sustained in training the previous week. She participated in two events, finishing seventh in super-G and securing a silver medal in downhill.

Upon her return to the World Cup circuit, fully recovered, Vonn began to close the gap on Riesch, finishing ahead of her in several races, including a giant slalom where she achieved her best career result in that discipline, finishing third. She took the overall lead for the first time that season after the downhill event of the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. However, the super-G race was canceled due to adverse weather conditions, allowing Riesch to regain the overall lead by a narrow three-point margin after the slalom. The giant slalom was also canceled due to weather, ultimately making Maria Riesch the 2011 overall champion.

Vonn made a triumphant return to form in the 2012 Alpine Ski World Cup season, winning her fourth Overall World Cup Title. The season commenced in October in Sölden, Austria, where Vonn achieved her first giant slalom victory. This milestone made her the sixth woman in alpine skiing history to have won World Cup races in all five alpine skiing disciplines: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super combined.

From December 2 to 4, 2011, Vonn swept all three races in Lake Louise, Alberta (two downhills and one super-G), completing her second career 'hat trick' at the venue. Her eleventh victory at Lake Louise surpassed Renate Götschl's record for the most career wins at a single resort (ten in Cortina d'Ampezzo). On December 7, Vonn secured her first World Cup victory on U.S. soil, at Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a super-G race. This was a rare occasion for an American woman to win a home speed event, the last being Hilary Lindh in 1994. Through further victories in January 2012, she overtook Götschl to become the third most successful female World Cup racer in terms of total victories. On February 4, Vonn achieved her fiftieth World Cup victory on the Kandahar downhill course at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. This win also marked her 25th career downhill victory, placing her second in career downhill wins, surpassing Götschl. With a podium finish in Russia on February 18, Vonn clinched the season title in downhill, her fifth consecutive in that discipline.

Despite her exceptional season, Vonn expressed disappointment at missing the FIS Alpine Record for 2,000 points in a single season by a mere 20 points. In her final race of the season at Schladming, Austria, she was unable to improve on her first giant slalom run after losing her pole at the starting gate. Her 24th-place finish at Schladming cost her the potential 20-plus points needed for the record. Vonn commented, "It was possible to get those 20 points, I was in a good position... If you work so hard to reach your goal but you lose your pole in the very last run, that's hard to take. It will give me even more motivation for next season."

2.4. Injuries and Comebacks (2013-2018)

Vonn experienced a slow start to the 2013 Alpine Ski World Cup season, hampered by illness that led to marginal results in giant slalom and her withdrawal from two slalom races in November 2012. However, she quickly regained her form once the speed events commenced, once again sweeping all three races in Lake Louise, Alberta, from November 30 to December 2 (two downhills, one super-G) for her third career 'hat trick'. These victories increased her record for most career wins at a single resort to 14. The three wins elevated her career total to 56, moving her past Vreni Schneider into second place all-time among women behind Annemarie Moser-Pröll with 62 victories.

Following some disappointing results, Vonn announced on December 17 her decision to take a break from the World Cup circuit to fully recover from her earlier illness. She returned to competition on January 6, finishing sixth in her first downhill race since her break. Two weeks later, she won the downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and a week after that, she won the giant slalom in Maribor, Slovenia.

At the 2013 World Championships in Schladming, Austria, Vonn suffered a severe crash in the super-G event and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. The diagnosis revealed torn anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in her right knee, along with a tibial plateau fracture. Despite the severity of her injury, Vonn expressed determination to be ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Before her season-ending crash on February 5, Vonn was leading the World Cup downhill standings with 340 points. Although Tina Maze closed the gap significantly, weather conditions intervened at the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, where thick fog caused the cancellation of the downhill race. As a result, Vonn secured her sixth downhill season title, despite not having competed in a downhill race since mid-January.

Vonn traveled to Austria for the first race of the 2014 Alpine Ski World Cup season but ultimately decided not to compete during the opening weekend, opting to postpone her return until late November. On November 20, 2013, she re-injured her right knee during a training crash at Copper Mountain, straining it and partially tearing her right ACL. She made her competitive return on December 6, finishing 40th in the first of two downhill races in Lake Louise, Alberta. She followed this with an 11th place in the second downhill on December 7 and a 5th place in the super-G on December 8. In December, she stated her cautious approach to the 2014 Winter Olympics, saying, "I'm going to play it safe and race minimal races, so I can get the confidence and the timing and the feeling of racing again. I'm really going to be safe and smart as I can."

On January 7, 2014, Vonn announced her withdrawal from the 2014 Winter Olympics, citing her right knee injury from December 21, 2013, while skiing in France. She explained, "I am devastated to announce that I will not be able to compete in Sochi. I did everything I possibly could to somehow get strong enough to overcome having no ACL but the reality has sunk in that my knee is just too unstable to compete at this level." She also stated her intention to undergo surgery to be ready for the World Championships in Vail the following February, adding, "On a positive note, this means there will be an additional spot so that one of my teammates can go for gold. Thank you all so much for all of the love and support. I will be cheering for all of the Olympians and especially team USA!" During her recovery, she worked as a correspondent for NBC News, covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

Vonn made a successful comeback to the top of the podium on December 6, 2014, winning the women's World Cup downhill race at Lake Louise, Alberta, in only her second race back. In January 2015, she first tied and then surpassed Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell for the most World Cup wins ever.

At the 2015 World Championships in Vail / Beaver Creek, Colorado, Vonn secured a bronze medal in the ladies' super-G, the first event. She went on to finish 5th in the downhill race and 14th in the giant slalom. On March 18, 2015, Vonn won the final World Cup downhill race in Méribel, France, claiming her seventh World Cup downhill title, a record she now shared with Moser-Proell for the most globes in a single discipline. The following day, Vonn achieved her eighth victory of the season by winning the last super-G race. This win earned her the super-G season title for the fifth time, tying a record held by German Katja Seizinger, Austrian Hermann Maier, and Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal. She joined Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden as the only skiers to accumulate 19 season titles across all disciplines and the overall. Vonn also reached her 113th World Cup podium, tying Moser-Proell's women's record.

Vonn began the 2016 season impressively by winning all three women's races contested in Lake Louise, Alberta (two downhills and one super-G), marking her third career victory sweep at the venue. This brought her to 70 career World Cup wins, further extending her lead over the previous women's record holder for most World Cup podiums. With her 25th Super-G victory, she surpassed Austrian Hermann Maier for the most Super-G wins by any gender. In January, Vonn tied Moser-Pröll's all-time downhill victories record at 36 with a win at Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria. Two weeks later, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Vonn broke Moser-Pröll's record with her 37th downhill victory. However, her season ended prematurely due to a knee fracture, which forced her to withdraw from competition and allowed Lara Gut to overtake her in the overall standings.

On November 11, 2016, Vonn announced via her Facebook page that she had severely fractured the humerus bone in her right arm during a training crash, requiring surgery. She returned to the World Cup circuit on January 15, 2017, in the downhill race at Altenmarkt, where she finished 13th. Just five days later, in her second race back from injury, she triumphed in the downhill event in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, securing her 77th career World Cup win.

In December 2017, Vonn made headlines by stating in an interview that she would not be representing then-President Donald Trump at the 2018 Winter Olympics and would decline an invitation to the White House reception if she won a gold medal. She emphasized her belief that all Olympians represent the people of the United States, rather than its leaders, publicly stating, "Well I hope to represent the people of the United States, not the President." This stance highlighted her commitment to a vision of public service that transcends political partisanship.

At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, Vonn competed fiercely, tying for sixth place in the women's super-G. She then secured a bronze medal in the women's downhill event. Vonn dedicated her Olympic races to her grandfather, a Korean War veteran who had passed away the previous November, carrying his initials on her helmet. In a poignant interview following the downhill race, Vonn tearfully shared, "Our family never gives up and I never gave up. I kept working hard and I'm really proud of this medal and I know he (her grandfather) is too." Following the Games, she scattered some of her grandfather's ashes near the men's downhill racing course, explaining, "I know that it would mean a lot to him to be back here, a part of him is in South Korea always." This act underscored a deep personal connection to her family's legacy and a symbolic connection to the host country.

2.5. First Retirement and Post-Career Activities (2019-2023)

In October 2018, prior to the start of the 2018-19 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season, Vonn announced her intention to retire from competitive skiing at the season's end. While she had previously aimed to surpass Ingemar Stenmark's record for World Cup race victories, she stated that her decision to retire in 2019 was independent of achieving that tally. She explained, "physically, I've gotten to the point where it doesn't make sense... I really would like to be active when I'm older, so I have to look to the future and not just be so focused on what's in front of me." She had planned to compete in all downhills and super-Gs, with her season debut set for Lake Louise. However, the following month, she injured her knee while training at Copper Mountain, forcing her to withdraw from the Lake Louise races. Subsequently, she announced that she would delay her retirement to ensure she could compete at Lake Louise the following season, a venue she held dear.

Vonn eventually made her season debut at Cortina d'Ampezzo in January 2019, finishing 15th and 9th in the two downhills there before failing to finish the super-G. After the latter race, she expressed strong consideration for immediate retirement, stating she would "give it a couple of days and make some decisions." On February 1, Vonn officially announced her retirement after the 2019 World Championships in Sweden. On February 10, in her final competitive race, she won a bronze medal in the women's downhill. This achievement made her the oldest woman to win a medal at a World Championship (at age 34) and the first female racer to receive medals at six different World Championships. Her wish to receive flowers from Ingemar Stenmark as a farewell gesture was fulfilled, marking a symbolic passing of the torch.

In January 2023, Vonn became the first woman to ski the Streif, the legendary downhill course in Kitzbühel, Austria, though she did so non-competitively and at night, further cementing her adventurous spirit and skill.

2.6. Second Comeback and Current Career (2024-)

On November 14, 2024, Vonn announced her decision to return to competitive skiing, ending her retirement. This surprising comeback was made possible by a successful knee replacement surgery seven months prior, which resolved the chronic pain that had led to her initial retirement. She made her return on December 7, 2024, in a downhill race at the FIS Fall Festival at Copper Mountain, Colorado, finishing 24th out of 45 skiers, a performance she described as a "solid start."

On December 21, Vonn made her much-anticipated World Cup comeback in St. Moritz, Switzerland, where she finished 14th in the Super-G, cautiously but steadily scoring points. In her first World Cup downhill race since returning, held on January 11, 2025, in St. Anton, she finished an impressive sixth, only 0.58 seconds behind the winner, Federica Brignone. The following day, she improved to fourth place in the Super-G, being beaten only by Lauren Macuga, Stephanie Venier, and Federica Brignone. While training for the downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Vonn experienced another crash but reported only minor injuries. She announced her intention to continue competing in the World Cup until the 2026 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo, which she hopes will be her final career race given it is one of her favorite slopes.

3.1. Season Titles

Vonn holds a record 20 World Cup season titles: 4 Overall, 8 Downhill, 5 Super-G, and 3 Combined.

3.2. Season Standings

Vonn's consistent top-tier performances across disciplines are reflected in her World Cup season standings.

:Standings through January 12, 2025

3.3. Race Victories

Lindsey Vonn has achieved 82 World Cup race victories, comprising 43 downhill, 28 super-G, 4 giant slalom, 2 slalom, and 5 combined wins. She has secured 137 podium finishes and 216 top ten placements.

8.1. Records and Achievements

Lindsey Vonn is celebrated as one of the most successful alpine ski racers in history. She won four World Cup overall championships (2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012), ranking her among the top female skiers in this regard. She also holds a record eight World Cup season titles in the downhill discipline (2008-2013, 2015, 2016), five titles in super-G (2009-2012, 2015), and three consecutive titles in the combined (2010-2012). In 2016, she secured her 20th World Cup crystal globe title, establishing an overall record for both men and women, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden, who had 19 globes.

Vonn is one of only six women to have won World Cup races in all five disciplines of alpine skiing: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super combined. She accumulated 82 World Cup victories throughout her career, a women's record that stood until January 2023 when it was surpassed by Mikaela Shiffrin. Currently, only Shiffrin (90 victories) and Stenmark (86 victories) have more World Cup victories than Vonn. Her Olympic gold and two bronze medals, combined with two World Championship gold medals in 2009 (and three silver medals in 2007 and 2011), underscore her comprehensive success across major competitions. She also holds the third-highest "super ranking" of all skiers, male or female.

8.2. Impact and Public Image

Vonn's fierce competitive spirit, combined with her compelling narrative of overcoming serious injuries and returning to the top of her sport, has made her a compelling public figure. In 2011, she received the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award and was named the United States Olympic Committee's sportswoman of the year.

Beyond her athletic achievements, Vonn has used her platform to engage with social and political issues. Her public statement in 2017 that she would not represent then-President Donald Trump at the 2018 Winter Olympics, emphasizing that she represents the "people of the United States, not the President," resonated with many who valued athletes' autonomy and a commitment to civic ideals over political allegiances. This action solidified her image as an independent voice. Her emotional dedication of her 2018 Olympic races to her grandfather, a Korean War veteran, and the symbolic scattering of his ashes near the Olympic course, highlighted her deep personal values and connection to national service, even as she maintained a critical stance on political leadership. Her later engagement in public dialogue about interracial relationships further demonstrated her willingness to address important social topics. Her comeback in 2024, after a career-ending injury and knee replacement surgery, has been widely viewed as a testament to her enduring resilience and passion for the sport, further cementing her inspirational legacy.