Lindsey Vonn 'had a blast' on competitive return six years after announcing retirement from Alpine skiing
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Published 08/12/2024 at 19:04 GMT
On February 10, 2019, Lindsey Vonn thought she had ended her career with a flourish, taking World Cup bronze in Are, Sweden. But nearly six years later, Vonn was back competing on the slopes after successful surgery on her knee enabled a sensational return. The 40-year-old reported she "had a blast" after racing two downhill courses at the FIS Fall Festival in Copper Mountain, Colorado.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Alpine skiing icon Lindsey Vonn returned to competitive action and qualified for World Cup racing almost six years after her retirement from the sport.
The three-time Olympic medallist brought an end to her 18-year career in February 2019, telling NBC the previous October that "physically, I’ve gotten to the point where it doesn’t make sense".
But six years and two months after her announcement, the American was back on the slopes, competing at the FIS Fall Festival in Copper Mountain, Colorado.
The 40-year-old finished 24th and 27th in her two downhill races on Saturday, writing on social media that she "had a blast" and was treating it as preparation for next weekend’s World Cup at Beaver Creek.
"Today was a solid start and I had a blast being in start with my team-mates again," Vonn posted on X.
"While I'm sure people will speculate and say I'm not in top form because of the results, I disagree. This was training for me.
"I'm still testing equipment and getting back in the groove. This is only the beginning and the way I'm skiing is more important than the times at this point.
"Now I have the FIS points to race World Cup so that’s a successful day! Thanks to everyone who helped put on the races! Let’s do it again tomorrow!"
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On Sunday, Vonn finished 24th and 19th in her two Super-G runs, qualifying her for World Cup action.
She posted on X to celebrate the achievement, but did not confirm when her first World Cup appearance would come.
"Well… after a solid weekend of races, I am now qualified to race World Cup! Now let’s see when I’m ready…" read her post on X.
Vonn is one of the most successful women Alpine skiers in the history of the sport, with only Annemarie Moser-Proll of Austria and compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin holding more overall Crystal Globes than her four.
The two-time world champion won her first three Crystal Globes in consecutive seasons, from 2008 to 2010, the same year she picked up her only Olympic gold in the downhill event at the Vancouver Games.
No racer can match her eight downhill Crystal Globes, which she won between 2008 and 2016.
Shiffrin has since eclipsed her women’s record 82 World Cup victories, and Ingemar Stenmark is the only other skier to have tallied more.
Austria’s Mirjam Puchner won the first downhill race in Copper Mountain on Sunday, with team-mate Cornelia Hutter taking second.
Stream the 2024/25 Alpine skiing season live on Eurosport and discovery+.
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