Lindsey Vonn was an attendee of the online program of the University of Missouri High School, led by the institution's Center for Distance and Independent Study.
College/University
Career
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn celebrates with the American flag after the women's alpine skiing super-G on day nine of the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Shaun Botterill.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
(From left to right) Julia Mancuso of the United States celebrates winning silver; Lindsey Vonn of the United States celebrates winning gold; and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria celebrates winning bronze during the flower ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Mason.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Lindsey Vonn celebrates winning the gold medal during the flower ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Mason.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Lindsey Vonn reacts after competing during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Mason.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn competes in the women's alpine skiing Super-G on day nine of the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Doug Pensinger.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Rose.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
4365 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, Canada
Lindsey Vonn receives the bronze medal during the medal ceremony for the women's super-G alpine skiing held at the Whistler Medals Plaza in Whistler, Canada. Vonn also holds up her gold medal, that she won earlier in the week in the ladies' downhill. Photo by Richard Heathcote.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Lindsey Vonn screams after completing the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Sandra Behne/Bongarts.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2010
2499 Nordic Dr, Whistler, BC V0N 1B2, Canada
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Rose.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2012
Schladming, Austria
Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway win the Overall World Cup super-G globes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's super-G in Schladming, Austria. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2012
Schladming, Austria
Lindsey Vonn with her Overall World Cup trophy, Schladming, Austria. Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2015
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's super-G in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2015
Meribel, France
Lindsey Vonn won the overall super-G and Downhill World Cup globes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals Women's Super-G in Meribel, France. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2016
Los Angeles, California, United States
Lindsey Vonn during the Lindsey Vonn Summer Pre-Game in Los Angeles, California. Photo by David Crotty/Patrick McMullan.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2016
St. Moritz, Switzerland
Lindsey Vonn poses with the Women's World Cup Downhill Crystal Globe trophy after the Women's Downhill Race, St. Moritz, Switzerland. Photo by Matthias Hangst.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2016
Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Photo by Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Bronze medallist Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the victory ceremony for the Ladies' Downhill on day 12 of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Matthias Hangst.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Super-G on day eight of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Tom Pennington.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
산142-3 Yongsan-ri, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Ladies' Alpine Combined on day thirteen of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Yongpyong Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Tom Pennington.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
Are, Sweden
Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals Men's and Women's Downhill in Are, Sweden. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
Gangwon-do, Pyeongchang-gun, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Olympic-ro, 200 횡계리, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn and Team USA walk in the Parade of Athletes during the Closing Ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Ryan Pierse.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
산142-3 Yongsan-ri, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn looks dejected during the Ladies' Alpine Combined on day thirteen of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Yongpyong Alpine Centre, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Tom Pennington.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn starts a run during the Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill training of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Alexander Hassenstein.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2018
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
(From left to right) Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway wins the silver medal, Sofia Goggia of Italy wins the gold medal, Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2019
Are, Sweden
Lindsey Vonn who won the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill with Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden in Are, Sweden. Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2019
(From left to right) Corinne Suter of Switzerland wins the silver medal, Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia wins the gold medal, Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill, Are, Sweden. Photo by Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2019
Are, Sweden
(From left to right) Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia wins the gold medal, Corinne Suter of Switzerland wins the silver medal, Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill, Are, Sweden. Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom.
Gallery of Lindsey Vonn
2019
Are, Sweden
Lindsey Vonn during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Alpine Combined in Are, Sweden. Photo by Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom.
Achievements
2019
Are, Sweden
Lindsey Vonn poses after the race with the medals of her career. Photo by Michael Kappeler/picture alliance.
Membership
Awards
Winter Olympics Gold Medal
2010
4365 Blackcomb Way, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, Canada
Lindsey Vonn celebrates with her gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Medals Plaza, in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts.
ESPY Award
2011
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Lindsey Vonn, the ESPY Award winner for the Best Female Olympic Athlete, and a singer Justin Bieber attend the ESPY Awards at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California. Photo by Christopher Polk.
Winter Olympics Bronze Medal
2018
Hoenggye-ri, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Bronze medallist Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Ladies' Downhill on day twelve of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Andreas Rentz.
Princess of Asturias Award for Sports
2019
Calle Pelayo, 3, 33003 Oviedo, Asturias, Spain
Lindsey Vonn receives the Princess of Asturias Award for the Sports from Princess Leonor of Spain during the Princesa de Asturias Awards ceremony at the Campoamor Theater, Oviedo, Spain. Photo by Carlos Alvarez.
Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award
2019
Monaco
Lindsey Vonn, winner of the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award, speaks on stage with her trophy during the Laureus World Sports Awards, Monaco. Photo by Matthew Lewis.
FIS Alpine World Ski Championship Bronze Medal
2019
Are, Sweden
Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill, Are, Sweden. Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom.
Bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn celebrates with the American flag after the women's alpine skiing super-G on day nine of the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Shaun Botterill.
(From left to right) Julia Mancuso of the United States celebrates winning silver; Lindsey Vonn of the United States celebrates winning gold; and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria celebrates winning bronze during the flower ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill at the Vancouver Winter Olympics in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Mason.
Lindsey Vonn celebrates winning the gold medal during the flower ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Mason.
Lindsey Vonn celebrates with her gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Medals Plaza, in Whistler, Canada. Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Bongarts.
Lindsey Vonn reacts after competing during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Mason.
Bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn competes in the women's alpine skiing Super-G on day nine of the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Doug Pensinger.
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Rose.
Lindsey Vonn receives the bronze medal during the medal ceremony for the women's super-G alpine skiing held at the Whistler Medals Plaza in Whistler, Canada. Vonn also holds up her gold medal, that she won earlier in the week in the ladies' downhill. Photo by Richard Heathcote.
Lindsey Vonn screams after completing the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Sandra Behne/Bongarts.
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Downhill, the Vancouver Winter Olympics at Whistler Creekside, Whistler, Canada. Photo by Clive Rose.
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Lindsey Vonn, the ESPY Award winner for the Best Female Olympic Athlete, and a singer Justin Bieber attend the ESPY Awards at the Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California. Photo by Christopher Polk.
Lindsey Vonn and Aksel Lund Svindal of Norway win the Overall World Cup super-G globes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Men's super-G in Schladming, Austria. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Lindsey Vonn took the 1st place and won a cow named Winnie during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill in Val d'Isere, France. Photo by Michel Cottin/Agence Zoom.
Lindsey Vonn won the overall super-G and Downhill World Cup globes during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals Women's Super-G in Meribel, France. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles, CA 90015, United States
Lindsey Vonn and NFL player Richard Sherman speak onstage during The ESPY ceremony at Microsoft Theater, Los Angeles, California. Photo by Kevin Winter.
Lindsey Vonn poses with the Women's World Cup Downhill Crystal Globe trophy after the Women's Downhill Race, St. Moritz, Switzerland. Photo by Matthias Hangst.
1000 Vin Scully Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90012, United States
Lindsey Vonn throws out the ceremonial first pitch before the game between the Colorado Rockies and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, California. Photo by Stephen Dunn.
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Bronze medallist Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the victory ceremony for the Ladies' Downhill on day 12 of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Matthias Hangst.
Hoenggye-ri, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Bronze medallist Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the medal ceremony for the Ladies' Downhill on day twelve of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Medal Plaza in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Andreas Rentz.
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Alpine Skiing Ladies' Super-G on day eight of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Tom Pennington.
산142-3 Yongsan-ri, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn competes during the Ladies' Alpine Combined on day thirteen of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Yongpyong Alpine Centre in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Tom Pennington.
Lindsey Vonn celebrates during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Finals Men's and Women's Downhill in Are, Sweden. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Lindsey Vonn at a closing press conference for Team USA on day sixteen of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Ker Robertson.
Gangwon-do, Pyeongchang-gun, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Olympic-ro, 200 횡계리, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn and Team USA walk in the Parade of Athletes during the Closing Ceremony of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Ryan Pierse.
산142-3 Yongsan-ri, Daegwalnyeong-myeon, Pyeongchang-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn looks dejected during the Ladies' Alpine Combined on day thirteen of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Yongpyong Alpine Centre, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Tom Pennington.
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
Lindsey Vonn starts a run during the Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill training of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Alexander Hassenstein.
산400 Sukam-ri, Bukpyeong-myeon, Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon-do, South Korea
(From left to right) Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway wins the silver medal, Sofia Goggia of Italy wins the gold medal, Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the Alpine Skiing Women's Downhill at Jeongseon Alpine Centre, Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Photo by Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom.
Lindsey Vonn who won the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill with Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden in Are, Sweden. Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom.
9390 N Santa Monica Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA 90210, United States
Lindsey Vonn at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party hosted by Radhika Jones at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by Dia Dipasupil.
1638 N Las Palmas Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90028, United States
Lindsey Vonn and her fiancé P. K. Subban attend Red Bull's Celebration of Lindsey Vonn at Liaison Restaurant, Los Angeles, California. Photo by Tiffany Rose.
(From left to right) Corinne Suter of Switzerland wins the silver medal, Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia wins the gold medal, Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill, Are, Sweden. Photo by Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom.
(From left to right) Gigi Hadid, Bella Hadid, P.K. Subban and Lindsey Vonn at the MTV Video Music Awards, Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Photo by Astrid Stawiarz.
Lindsey Vonn at the 27th annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party celebrating EJAF and the 91st Academy Awards, West Hollywood, California. Photo by Amy Sussman.
Lindsey Vonn receives the Princess of Asturias Award for the Sports from Princess Leonor of Spain during the Princesa de Asturias Awards ceremony at the Campoamor Theater, Oviedo, Spain. Photo by Carlos Alvarez.
Lindsey Vonn and her fiance P.K. Subban attend the MTV Video Music Awards at Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey. Photo by Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/WireImage.
Lindsay Vonn and her fiance P.K. Subban outside the Red Bull Racing garage before qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Monaco at Circuit de Monaco, in Monte-Carlo. Photo by Mark Thompson.
(From left to right) Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia wins the gold medal, Corinne Suter of Switzerland wins the silver medal, Lindsey Vonn wins the bronze medal during the FIS World Ski Championships Women's Downhill, Are, Sweden. Photo by Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom.
Lindsey Vonn, winner of the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award, speaks on stage with her trophy during the Laureus World Sports Awards, Monaco. Photo by Matthew Lewis.
Lindsey Vonn was an attendee of the online program of the University of Missouri High School, led by the institution's Center for Distance and Independent Study.
Connections
Grandfather: Don Kildow
Lindsey Vonn with her paternal grandfather, Korean War veteran Don Kildow. Photo from NBC Olympics collection.
Ex-husband: Thomas Vonn
Lindsey Vonn with her first husband, alpine skier Thomas Vonn
ex-boyfriend: Kenan Smith
Lindsey Vonn with one of her boyfriends, former National Football League assistant coach Kenan Smith
fiance: P. K. Subban
Lindsey Vonn's fiancé, professional hockey player P. K. Subban
(The first ever memoir from the greatest female ski racer ...)
The first ever memoir from the greatest female ski racer of all time, revealing never before told stories of her life in the fast lane – and the bold decisions that helped her break down barriers for athletes around the world.
Lindsey Vonn is a former American alpine skier. A three-time Olympic Champion, she won four women's World Cup overall alpine skiing championships (2008–10 and 2012) and eight World Cup season titles in all five disciplines, in particular, downhill, super-G, slalom, giant slalom, and super combined. She is the all-time leader in women's World Cup race victories with 82.
Background
Lindsey Vonn, née Kildow, was born on October 18, 1984 in St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. She is a daughter of Alan Lee Kildow, a former competitive skier, and Linda Anne Kildow. Lindsey has four siblings, Dylan, Karin, Reed, and Laura.
Education
Lindsey Vonn was raised in Burnsville, Minnesota, where at the age of two she was put on skis by her father, a former competitive skier, for the first time. She practiced during family vacations, on the way from Minnesota to Vail and later followed the local Buck Hill Ski program of a coach Erich Sailer.
By 1991, Lindsey had shared her ski time between Minnesota, Colorado, and Oregon. While training in Colorado, the young skier was following the "pre-age-class" program at alpine racing Ski Club Vail or SCV (later known as Ski & Snowboard Club Vail) under a female coach Colby S. Scudder. In 1995, Lindsey came across Picabo Street, an Olympic gold medal winner in ski racing. The meeting impressed both to such an extent that later Street even mentored Vonn. By the end of the decade, Lindsey's family as a whole had relocated to Vail, Colorado.
At the age of 14, Lindsey Vonn became the first female athlete from the United States who won the slalom events in Italy, at Trofeo Topolino di Sci Alpino. She advanced in the United States Ski Team over the next several years.
Lindsey Vonn was an attendee of the online program of the University of Missouri High School, led by the institution's Center for Distance and Independent Study.
Lindsey Vonn debuted at the top-level competition, the World Cup, on November 18, 2000, in Park City, Utah. Her first International Ski Federation (FIS) victory came a year later, the same as a Super Series win and the Bronze in Combined at the United States National Championships. In the season she raced in her first Slalom World Cup. The 26th place in Super-G at Val d'Isere brought her the first World Cup points.
The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, ended with a six place in Alpine combined. The following year, she won a silver medal in downhill at the Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS) Junior World Ski Championships and took silver and bronze at the United States Nationals. The progress continued throughout the 2003-2004 season with two Gold medals at the US Championships, two medals at Junior Worlds and the World Cup podium in Cortina d'Ampezzo, the first in her career.
The next season was no less rich in achievements as Lindsey captured her maiden World Cup race victory and took part in her first World Championships. She had six podiums and ended the season at the sixth overall in the world. In 2005, Lindsey Vonn of the US Ski Team accepted the proposal to participate in Red Bull Athletes Special Projects. The new coaching team turned Lindsey's life upside down and boosted her career. Following summer training on a new program in Oregon and Chile, the athlete took victory in the Downhill events at Lake Louise, Canada, and Val d'Isere, France.
Vonn's next aim was the victory at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Turin, Italy. A medal favorite of the Olympics, she crashed during a downhill training run and was airlifted to a hospital. Despite the injury, the ski racer returned to the competition within two days. The injury didn't disturb her to finish eighth in Downhill, seventh in Super G and 14th in the Slalom. Such a strong will to win was marked by the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award. Vonn recovered in time to win silver medals in downhill and super-G at the 2007 World Championships in Swedish Are, but she partially tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her right knee in a crash during a training session to put an early end to her season.
Rebounded from injury once more, Lindsey Vonn began the best year of her career, the 2007-08 skiing season. Six-time World Cup winner, she surpassed her nearest competitor by more than 200 points having 1,403 in total at the end of the season and captured her first overall World Cup title. At the season's penultimate competition, Vonn won her 10th career World Cup downhill race to break the American record set by Picabo Street and Daron Rahlves. By then she had already clinched the World Cup downhill title. The success continued into the next year, as Vonn earned gold medals in the downhill and supergiant slalom at the 2009 World Championships, the World Cup super-G title, and her second World Cup downhill and overall titles.
In the 2009-10 season, the total of her overall World Cup wins increased to 33 as she captured downhill, super-G, and combined World Cup Championships. Besides, it was a third World Cup overall title in a row. The major sport event of the season, the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, brought Vonn a gold medal in downhill and a bronze in the super-G. In the 2010-11 season, Vonn repeated as World Cup champion in each of the three disciplines she had won the previous season. She won the first giant slalom race of the record-high 2011-12 season to become the fifth female skier to win a race in each of the five World Cup Alpine disciplines. Later that season she captured her fourth overall World Cup title.
The illness that Vonn contracted at the end of 2012 seriously weakened her strength in the on-going races. By December, the athlete had decided to take an extended break over the Christmas period in order to condition and regain her strength, as well as to prepare well for the upcoming World Championships in February.
Coming back to the competitions in January 2013, Lindsey crashed during a super-G run at the Alpine World Championships and tore two ligaments in her knee, that made her stop an already-disrupted season. However, the points that the athlete accumulated during the season were enough to provide her with the sixth straight downhill World Cup title five weeks later. A slow recovery forced the alpine skier to withdraw from the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics shortly before they were scheduled to begin. Nevertheless, Vonn didn't stay apart from the event and served as an NBC News correspondent covering the Games.
Lindsey Vonn resumed racing in December 2014 and one month later won her 63rd career World Cup race to break the record for most all-time World Cup victories for a female skier. She captured World Cup season titles in downhill and super-G that year and finished third overall in the World Cup rankings. Vonn then took the super-G bronze medal in the 2015 World Championships.
In March 2016, shortly after winning her 20th career World Cup title (in the downhill discipline), the athlete broke her leg and withdrew from the remainder of the 2015-16 season. The fracture of her upper arm, which affected the nerves in November of that same year, cast doubt on her participation in the new World Cup season. It was decided to undergo a course of recovery, including an optimal physiotherapy.
Vonn returned in January 2017 and the following month won a downhill bronze medal at the World Championships, becoming, at the age of 32, the oldest woman to medal in the history of that event. After winning a bronze medal in the downhill event at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea the next year, Lindsey announced that the ongoing season would be her last. She took another downhill bronze at the 2019 World Championships, her eighth medal in that competition, and officially retired from competitive skiing on February 10.
Lindsey Vonn is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the alpine skiing as she has won three Olympic medals (one gold and two bronze), eight World Championship medals (two gold, three silver and three bronze), and four overall World Cup titles (three in a row).
Vonn is a holder of several records in the sport, including being one of two female alpine skiers to win four World Cup overall championships, and the first female American athlete to win the gold Olympic medal in downhill. Her 20 World Cup crystal globe titles are unsurpassed by both men or women, and her 82 World Cup victories (women's record) are second only to Swedish alpine ski racer Ingemar Stenmark whose number of World Cup victories is 86.
In addition to an unprecedented number of accolades in athletic career, Vonn has been a recipient of such awards, though related to sport, as the Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award, the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award (twice), the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award (out of 3 nominations), the Laureus World Breakthrough of the Year Award, and the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports.
(Lessons in strength, fitness, food, and attitude from the...)
2016
Views
Lindsey Vonn considers every setback, trauma or loss, as the motivation for the next achievements and victories, both in sport and life. As an athlete, she has been tenacious and hard-working person always ready to give her 100 percent.
Vonn has been involved in such charity projects as the Wounded Warrior Project and the Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation, established by the two-time Motocross World Champion Heinz Kinigadner and the Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz. In 2014, the alpine skier established a charitable organization the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, aimed to support students and children, determined in sport, both financially and practically.
Quotations:
"I'll be training harder than ever for this season. Cause if you work hard, it will pay off in the end."
"Follow your dreams. If you have a goal, and you want to achieve it, then work hard and do everything you can to get there, and one day it will come true."
"I love skiing fast. You're going 80 to 85 m.p.h. down an icy slope, and I love it."
"I want to keep pushing the limits to see what's possible. That's the nice thing about ski racing – no one is stopping you from going faster."
"When you fall, get right back up. Just keep going, keep pushing it."
"If you go around being afraid, you're never going to enjoy life. You have only one chance, so you've got to have fun."
"Life changes very quickly in a very positive way if you let it."
"People get nervous driving around corners, thinking they're going to tip over. But you can go soooo much faster through the curves than you realize."
"I feel like, with ski racing, you need to have a short memory. You crash all the time, and sometimes it's a really bad one, but sometimes it's not so bad."
"I always channeled what I felt emotionally into skiing – my insecurities, my anger, my disappointment. Skiing was always my outlet, and it worked."
"I want to be known for my athletic achievements, not my celebrity."
"I get up early, but it doesn't mean I like getting up early."
"Everything about my life seemed so perfect to people. But I struggle like everyone else."
Personality
Lindsey Vonn is fluent in German. She likes to spent her free time with her family and dogs, playing golf and tennis from time to time. In 2005, she received a cow named Olympe for her victory in downhill at Val d'Isere, France. Lindsey has kept the animal on a farm near the US Ski Team's training base in Austria.
Physical Characteristics:
Lindsey Vonn is 1.78 meters tall.
Quotes from others about the person
Picabo Street: "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."
Robert Trenkwalder, head of the Red Bull Athletes Special Projects: "Lindsey is driven by winning which on the one hand is reflected in extremely professional self-discipline. On the other hand, she wants to give one hundred percent every time, all of the time. Unfortunately it can result in her crashing out and injuring herself unnecessarily."
Interests
Athletes
Picabo Street
Connections
Lindsey Vonn was married to former American alpine ski racer Thomas Vonn from September 29, 2007 to January 9, 2013. In spring 2013, Vonn revealed her romance with an outstanding golf player Tiger Woods. The athletes broke up two years later, in May.
Kenan Smith, National Football League assistant coach, was the next sweetheart of Lindsey. After they parted ways in 2017, Vonn began a relationship with a Canadian professional hockey player P. K. Subban. The couple went public with their engagement on August 23, 2019.
Father:
Alan Lee Kildow
Mother:
Linda Anne Kildow
Grandfather:
Don Kildow
(born 1929 – died November 1, 2017)
Don Kildow, a soldier in the Army Corps of Engineers during the Korean War, built roads during the two years that he spent with the Army in South Korea. After his death, Lindsey Vonn scattered some of his ashes not far from the men's Olympic downhill course in Pyeongchang.
Ex-husband:
Thomas Vonn
(born December 3, 1975)
Vonn is an American retired alpine ski racer. He was a member of the United States Ski Team.
ex-boyfriend:
Tiger Woods
(born December 30, 1975)
Woods is an American professional golfer whose achievements to date rank him among the most successful game player of all time. Formerly the World No. 1, he has been the highest-paid professional athlete in the world, having earned an estimated US $90.5 million from winnings and endorsements in 2010.
ex-boyfriend:
Kenan Smith
fiance:
P. K. Subban
(born May 13, 1989)
P. K. Subban, in full Pernell-Karl Sylvester Subban, is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman for the National Hockey League's New Jersey Devils. Following the 2015-2016 season, the athlete joined the Nashville Predators for three seasons, and then was traded to New Jersey.
Lindsey Vonn: Olympic Champion
This book describes the life of Lindsey Vonn, who is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in downhill ski racing.
2010
Lindsey Vonn
An introduction to the life and career of champion downhill skier Lindsey Vonn.
2013
Lindsey Vonn
The book explores the highs and lows of Vonn's career, from Olympic triumphs to major injuries that have taken championships and accomplishments away.