Lindsey Vonn Closes Out Career With Bronze Medal in the Downhill at World Championships

Lindsey Vonn, whose 82 World Cup victories are the most by a female skier in history, ended her career with one more trip to the podium. Vonn took the Bronze Medal in the Downhill at the World Championships in Are, Sweden on February 10th in her last race.

Vonn is 34 but has had so many injuries, especially to her knees, that she knew it was time to call it quits. She injured a ligament in her left knee in December, and she decided at that point the World Championships would be her finale. She crashed during the Super G in Are, and although battered and bruised, she powered through that to race in the Downhill, displaying the characteristic toughness that has defined her career as much as her success has defined it.

Vonn’s list of accomplishments include 82 first place, 35 second place, and 20 third place finishes in World Cup events; only Ingemar Stenmark has more firsts with 86. He was on hand to watch Vonn’s race. In the World Championships, Vonn has two Golds, three Silvers, and now three Bronze medals. She was the overall World Cup champion four times. She also has a Gold and two Bronze Olympic medals, despite missing the 2014 games due to injury.

Watch her last race on YouTube