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Born
Born Lindsey Caroline Kildow in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on the 18th of October 1984; Vonn learnt to ski at a young age and credits her beloved grandfather Don Kildow with her love for skiing. Don, himself a competitive skier, taught Vonn to ski and remained an important part of Lindsey’s life until his death in November 2017 at 88.
She raced at seven and by nine was already competing on the international circuit.
Achieves First FIS Event Start
Vonn had her first FIS event start in Breckenridge, Colorada on the 14th of November 1999 where she competed in the ladies slalom during the Nor-Am cup.
Competes in her First World Cup
On the 18th of November 2000, Vonn competed in the ladies slalom at Park City, Utah marking the first of 395 World Cup starts.
Makes her Olympic Debut
Vonn has her Olympic debut during the 2002 Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, Utah. Vonn competed in the ladies combined on the 14th of February 2002 at Snowbasin, Utah where she placed 6th.
Medal Success at Junior World Championship 2003
The silver medal in the downhill at Puy-Saint-Vincent in Briançonnais, France would be the first of three medals she wins over two Junior World Championships.
Achieves her First World Cup Podium Position
In January 2004 Vonn takes her first World Cup podium in the downhill at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. This would mark the first of her 137 World Cup podiums making her the current ladies World Cup podium record holder. This impressive feat lies only slightly behind the men’s podium record of 155 held by Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark.
First World Cup Win
The 3rd of December 2004 saw Vonn win her first World Cup in the Downhill at Lake Louise, Canada during the 2004/05 World Cup. This, the first of 82 World Cup wins, makes her the current record holder for ladies World Cup wins. She had hopes of surpassing the current men‘s record of 86 wins held by Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark, but sadly, it wasn‘t to be.
World Championship Double Medal
During the 2007 World Championship, she wins a silver medal in both downhill and the Super-G at Åre, Sweden. This marked 2 of the 3 silver medals Vonn would win during her World Championships attended and 2 of the 8 total medals won at the World Championships she attended.
First World Cup Title Win
Just a few years after her first World Cup win Vonn wins her first of four World Cup titles of which three she won consecutively (2007/08 season).
Achieves Third Consecutive World Cup Title Win
In the 2009/10 season, Vonn wins her third consecutive World Cup title and wins the downhill, Super G and combined titles.
Wins Two Olympic Medals
Vonn wins gold in the downhill and a bronze medal in the Super-G at the Winter Olympics held in Vancouver, Canada in 2010.
Wins Female Athlete of the Year
In 2010 The Associated Press name Vonn their Female Athlete of the Year bringing to a close another successful year.
Joins the All-Events Winner’s Club
Vonn wins her fourth World Cup title during the 2011/12 season becoming one of only a few athletes to win races in each of the five classic World Cup disciplines:
- Downhill
- Super-G
- Giant Slalom
- Slalom
- Combined
Announces Retirement
At the start of 2019 Vonn announced her retirement stating that ‘My body is broken beyond repair and it isn’t letting me have the final season I dreamed of,’ Vonn said. ‘My body is screaming at me to STOP and it’s time for me to listen.’ Vonn is one of the most successful women‘s skiers in history racking up 137 World Cup podiums, 82 World Cup wins, 20 World Cup titles, 8 World Championship medals and 3 Olympic medals. Many will miss not only her brilliance on the slopes but also her warm and giving personality off the slopes.
Edit: 02/10/2019 – Vonn won bronze in downhill in her last race before retiring. An incredible achievement for her last race.