Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, center, winner of an alpine skiing women's World Cup downhill, celebrates on the podium with second placed Nadja Kamer, of Switzerland, left, and third placed Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Photo Courtesy of the Associated Press
(GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany) Lindsay Vonn was crying after the downhill race Saturday. And it wasn’t because she had a bad run. She had etched her name into skiing history.
“I am just so happy, every win is special, but 50 is a huge mark,” Vonn said after winning the downhill on the Kandahar course, marking her 50th career World Cup win. “I feel like today will be a day when I look back at my career and see what I have achieved. I have a lot more to do,” Vonn told reporters in German.
Vonn’s 50th win came with family in town.
“My sister’s here, my dad is here. Things happen for a reason and I didn’t win last weekend because I needed my family here to celebrate,” Vonn said.
Last weekend, Vonn narrowly missed her 50th win, losing by 0.03 seconds to German Maria Hoefl-Riesch in St. Moritz, Switzerland. This time around, Vonn had different plans.
“It’s crazy. I am at a loss for words. I already cried with one of the TV crews and that is enough crying for the day,” Vonn said. “Fifty World Cup wins is a huge mark for me in my career and more than I ever though possible. I just wanted the 50th win.”
Vonn joins the likes of other skiing greats including Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria (62), Vreni Schneider of Switzerland (55), Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden (86), Hermann Maier of Austria (54) and Alberta Tomba of Italy (50).
It was Vonn’s ninth win of the season. But it wasn’t an easy race for Vonn on Saturday. Temperatures plunged to -16 degrees in Kandahar. The middle section of the course was bumpier than the prior two training days and several skiers struggled in that section. Vonn was no different.
“I got a little bit rocked from the bumps. That wasn’t part of the plan. I lost my inside ski and went on my hip,” Vonn said. “But from that point on, I made up some time.”
Last year, Vonn struggled in Garsmich. During the world championships at the German resort, she won only a silver in the downhill coming off of a concussion.
“I have raced in a lot of places and always something good or bad happens no matter what you do,” she said. “Last year wasn’t the best time here in Garsmich, but I turned everything around this year and it’s awesome to get the 50th in Garsmich.”
Despite her nine wins on the World Cup this winter, it was a tumultuous off-season for Vonn. She split from her husband and coach Thomas Vonn and has started to piece back together the relationship with her father, Alan Kildow. Kildow was the catalyst to Vonn’s career, introducing her to the sport at Buck Hill in Minnesota before moving out to Colorado.
Switzerland’s Nadja Kamer set the pace early on Saturday wearing bib No. 3, back on the World Cup scene after recovering from several knee injuries. Vonn outsed her by 0.41 seconds and Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather finished third, earning her second straight downhill podium, 0.79 seconds behind.
As for Vonn, her work is far from over.
“I have a lot more years of skiing in me, but Alberta Tomba has 50 ski wins and he is one of the best skiers of all time. I don’t see myself in that way, but to know that I have accomplished so much to this point is amazing.”
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