Lindsey Vonn will ‘work hard’ to beat Stenmark and race against men | CNN

Lindsey Vonn will ‘work hard’ to beat Stenmark and race against men

3 minute read
Updated 7:25 AM EDT, Thu October 25, 2018
The world's greatest female ski racer Lindsey Vonn has officially retired from the sport after her final race at the World Championships in Are. Here's a look back at her glittering career.
The world's greatest female ski racer Lindsey Vonn has officially retired from the sport after her final race at the World Championships in Are. Here's a look back at her glittering career.
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She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002 as a 17-year-old, finishing 32nd in slalom and sixth in the combined slalom/downhill event.
She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002 as a 17-year-old, finishing 32nd in slalom and sixth in the combined slalom/downhill event.
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Lindsey Kildow -- as she was then before marrying fellow skier Thomas Vonn -- won her first World Cup race with victory in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, in 2004.
Lindsey Kildow -- as she was then before marrying fellow skier Thomas Vonn -- won her first World Cup race with victory in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, in 2004.
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In 2005, Vonn signed with Red Bull and began working with a completely new coaching team. She seemed set for the start of something special.
In 2005, Vonn signed with Red Bull and began working with a completely new coaching team. She seemed set for the start of something special.
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Any momentum from the new deal was slowed during the 2006 Olympics in Italy, though. A fall in practice resulted in a short stay in hospital. She recovered in time to compete but could only manage seventh in the Super G and eighth in the downhill events.
Any momentum from the new deal was slowed during the 2006 Olympics in Italy, though. A fall in practice resulted in a short stay in hospital. She recovered in time to compete but could only manage seventh in the Super G and eighth in the downhill events.
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However, Vonn quickly bounced back and won the first of three straight World Cup titles in 2008 at the age of 23.
However, Vonn quickly bounced back and won the first of three straight World Cup titles in 2008 at the age of 23.
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Golden girl Vonn achieved her Olympic dreams in 2010. She won the Olympic downhill gold at Whistler and added bronze in the super-G.
Golden girl Vonn achieved her Olympic dreams in 2010. She won the Olympic downhill gold at Whistler and added bronze in the super-G.
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Vonn added a fourth World Cup title in 2012, but is still behind Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of six overall crystal globes.
Vonn added a fourth World Cup title in 2012, but is still behind Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of six overall crystal globes.
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Vonn's public profile went galactic when she dated star golfer Tiger Woods for two years between 2013 and 2015.
Vonn's public profile went galactic when she dated star golfer Tiger Woods for two years between 2013 and 2015.
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In 2013, Vonn suffered an horrific crash at the World Championships in Austria. She underwent reconstructive knee surgery and began a long road to recovery. She attempted to return a year later, only to pull out of the 2014 Olympics after aggravating the injury again.
In 2013, Vonn suffered an horrific crash at the World Championships in Austria. She underwent reconstructive knee surgery and began a long road to recovery. She attempted to return a year later, only to pull out of the 2014 Olympics after aggravating the injury again.
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Injuries continued to hamper Vonn. She fractured her left knee in February 2016 in a crash during a World Cup super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra, but raced the combined event the next day before calling an end to her season.
Injuries continued to hamper Vonn. She fractured her left knee in February 2016 in a crash during a World Cup super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra, but raced the combined event the next day before calling an end to her season.
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Vonn worked hard to get back in time to challenge for gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The American left PyeongChang with a bronze medal in the downhill but insisted she was proud to have made it through her injuries.
Vonn worked hard to get back in time to challenge for gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The American left PyeongChang with a bronze medal in the downhill but insisted she was proud to have made it through her injuries.
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Vonn announced the current ski World Cup season would be her last. She is already the most successful woman in World Cup history with 82 victories and was chasing down Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record of 86 victories in her sights.
Vonn announced the current ski World Cup season would be her last. She is already the most successful woman in World Cup history with 82 victories and was chasing down Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record of 86 victories in her sights.
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However, a knee injury from a training crash in November meant she couldn't start her season until January. On her debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she was still struggling with knee pain.
However, a knee injury from a training crash in November meant she couldn't start her season until January. On her debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she was still struggling with knee pain.
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After much soul-searching Vonn announced that she will retire from skiing after competing in the World Championships in Are, Sweden in February 2019. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen," she said.
After much soul-searching Vonn announced that she will retire from skiing after competing in the World Championships in Are, Sweden in February 2019. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen," she said.
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In her opening race at the World Championships, Vonn suffered a heavy crash and careered into safety netting. She was eventually able to ski to the bottom and said she would still compete in the downhill to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
In her opening race at the World Championships, Vonn suffered a heavy crash and careered into safety netting. She was eventually able to ski to the bottom and said she would still compete in the downhill to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Despite her damaged knees, Vonn was able to retire on a positive note. She battled back to win bronze in the downhill -- becoming the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
Despite her damaged knees, Vonn was able to retire on a positive note. She battled back to win bronze in the downhill -- becoming the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
The American retired four wins short of equaling Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins and the Swedish great (left) was in Are to watch Vonn's final race. "I basically begged him to come here," Vonn said.
The American retired four wins short of equaling Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins and the Swedish great (left) was in Are to watch Vonn's final race. "I basically begged him to come here," Vonn said.
FRANCOIS-XAVIER MARIT/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
Lindsey Vonn: Greatest female skier retires
CNN  — 

She is entering her last competitive ski season, but Lindsey Vonn vows she will “work hard” to accomplish her final two goals – become the most successful ski racer ever and compete against men.

The 34-year-old, who announced her retirement earlier this month, needs five more World Cup wins to beat Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record of 86 victories.

The American has also long-campaigned to be allowed to enter a men’s World Cup race, but skiing’s governing body the FIS has so far blocked her requests.

“I know I’ll get asked about Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark’s record of 86 World Cup wins, and that I never got to race against men, but I still am going to work hard to make both possible,” Vonn wrote in an article for Sports Illustrated.

Last season Vonn won five World Cup races and could compete in about 20 downhill and super-G events in her final campaign.

“I still have one more season left and while I will take it all in and enjoy this year, I will also race with the same intensity and focus that I always have,” she added.

READ: Vonn’s historic quest, Shiffrin’s time to shine?

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - FEBRUARY 04: Lindsey Vonn of USA competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill on February 4, 2018 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by Hans Bezard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
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The three-time Olympic medalist and two-time world champion is already the most successful female World Cup ski racer of all time. One more win this season would make her the oldest women’s World Cup winner.

At the Winter Games in South Korea in February she became the oldest woman – at 33 – to win an Olympic medal in any of the five Alpine skiing disciplines when she took bronze in the downhill.

Since winning gold in Vancouver in 2010, her only Olympic title, the four-time World Cup overall winner has suffered multiple injuries – fractures, knee ligament tears, concussion – and undergone surgery five times.

It was a knee injury which prevented her from defending her downhill title in Sochi four years ago.

Where do you think Vonn ranks among America’s sporting greats? Have your say on our Facebook page.

Beating Stenmark’s record “would be a dream come true,” she told NBC, but Vonn is adamant this will be her last season either way.

“I have nothing left to prove to myself or anyone else,” she wrote.

READ: I’m not going to back down to online abuse – Vonn

READ: How Vonn’s rescue dogs helped her beat depression

lindsey vonn rescue dogs skiing pyeongchang 2018 winter olympics intl orig_00004701.jpg
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She added: “I’ve come to realize that while I’ve accomplished great things with skiing, I need to look past podiums, goals, and competition and find out what my future looks like without it.

“I need to accept that I am good enough without skiing because, at this point, my health and my family need to come first. I want to be able to walk without pain, or to (hopefully) teach my own kids how to ski one day.

READ: Mikaela Shiffrin: Training an Olympic champion

“I need to redefine my goals, who I am, and what direction I want my life to take. I know that I can take the persistence, grit, and hard work I’ve learned from skiing and it will translate into success in the other aspects of my life.”

Visit cnn.com/skiing for more news, features and videos

Vonn will begin her final season with two downhills and a super-G at Lake Louise, Canada over the first weekend of December.