- Date
- 18 Feb 2010
- Tags
- Vancouver 2010 , IOC News
Lindsey Vonn
Already one of the greatest skiers in American history, Lindsey Vonn will be desperate to overcome injury to compete at Vancouver 2010.
American prodigy
Lindsey Vonn (born 18 October 1984 in Saint Paul, US) was on skis by the age of 2, and took part in Erich Sailer’s renowned development programme at Buck Hill, in her home state of Minnesota. The speed of her progress was demonstrated when in 1999 she became the first American to win at the Trofeo Topolino in Italy, a prestigious event for junior skiers.
Early careeVonn made her World Cup debut in 2000 at the age of 16. She competed at Salt Lake City 2002, gaining a best result of sixth in the combined event. She achieved her first World Cup podium finish in December 2004 and went on to score fourth-place finishes in two events, downhill and combined, at the 2005 World Championships.
Breaking throughVonn competed in the downhill at Turin 2006, despite crashing in training the previous day. She finished eighth but her courageous performance won her the US Olympic Spirit Award. She soon won her first major medals – silver in both downhill and Super-G at the 2007 World Championships.
Reaching the topVonn won the overall World Cup title in 2008, only the second American women to do so. She repeated the feat in 2009, then won double gold – in downhill and Super-G – at the 2009 World Championships. Despite suffering an injured shin in the build-up to Vancouver 2010, she will be keen to reinforce her status as an icon of American skiing.