Lindsey Vonn targets Olympic gold, Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record

By Danielle Rossingh, for CNN
2 minute read
Updated 8:11 AM EDT, Wed November 1, 2017
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.
FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
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.
OLIVIER MORIN/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
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.
Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
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.
Tom Pennington/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
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.
Hans Bezard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
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.
TIZIANA FABI/AFP/Getty Images
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.
Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images
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

Story highlights

Lindsey Vonn won the Olympic downhill title in 2010

The American is nine wins shy of an all-time record

Vonn overcame a serious hand injury last year

CNN  — 

It’s going to be a busy season for the world’s greatest female ski racer.

Not only is Lindsey Vonn trying to beat Ingemar Stenmark’s World Cup record of 86 victories, she’ll also be competing in an Olympic Games for the first time since she clinched the Olympic downhill title in Vancouver in 2010. She missed the 2014 Sochi Olympics because of injury.

2018 Winter Olympics

For more CNN coverage of the 2018 Winter Olympics, go to cnn.com/olympics

“I am going to mainly focus on the Olympics this season and of course, I’ll try to win World Cups,” the 32-year-old American, the most successful woman in World Cup history with 77 victories, told CNN during an interview at the French Open in Paris in June.

The 2018 Winter Games start in Pyeongchang, South Korea Feb. 9-25 while the alpine World Cup season kicks off with the men’s and women’s giant slalom at the European training base of the US ski team in Soelden, Austria on Oct. 28-29.

READ: Why Lindsey Vonn wants to race the men

Overcoming injuries

“I’ve extended my career one more year to make sure I don’t put too much pressure on myself, I take really good care of myself,” said Vonn.

“Then after the Olympics, I can focus on Stenmark’s record because it is attainable as long as I stay healthy,” she said. “That’s my main focus: staying healthy, the Olympics and the record.”

Vonn competing in Cortina D'Ampezzo in 2015.
Vonn competing in Cortina D'Ampezzo in 2015.
ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images

Throughout her long and successful career, Vonn has had to cope with a number of serious injuries, including a broken arm sustained during a heavy crash last November that led to nerve damage in her right hand which required surgery and an extensive course of rehabilitation.

“Being injured has definitely made me realize that I am not ready to be done yet,” said Vonn. “It makes me not this tired because I’ve had a little bit of a break.”

ASPEN, CO - MARCH 19: Mikaela Shiffrin of United States celebrates with the globes for being awarded the overall season ladies' champion and lasies' season slalom champion at the 2017 Audi FIS Ski World Cup Finals at Aspen Mountain on March 19, 2017 in Aspen, Colorado. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)
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READ: Vonn on “the hardest recovery of my career”

Less pressure

Vonn feels less nervous about trying to catch Sweden’s Stenmark, who set his all-time mark between 1974 and 1989, than she did while she was chasing the women’s World Cup record held by Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria.

“There was more pressure trying to beat Annemarie’s record of 63 wins,” said Vonn, who beat the Austrian’s 35-year-old mark with a Super-G win in Cortina D’Ampezzo in 2015.

“And now that I am the greatest female, that takes a lot of the pressure off,” she said. “But Ingemar’s record is still something that I am chasing very heavily.”