Four months after coming out of retirement, Lindsey Vonn once again proved her greatness by capturing the silver medal in the super-giant (super-G) during the World Cup Finals in Sun Valley. The achievement marks her return to the World Cup podium for the first time since March 2018 and adds a new chapter to her already storied career.
Vonn, 40, became the oldest woman to win a World Cup medal, beating the previous record by six years. After crossing the finish line with a time of 1:13.64, the crowd at Sun Valley Resort erupted in cheers. Vonn, visibly emotional, smiled, raised her fists and then dropped her head as tears streamed down her face.
“When I started this, no one thought I would even make the top 30. I haven’t competed in World Cups for six years. I have a partial knee prosthesis. I’m 40 years old,” Vonn said, her voice heavy with emotion. “I always knew what was possible, but it’s been a tough road. I’ve fallen many times in my life, personally, physically and mentally, but I always get back up.”
A LEGENDARY CAREER
With this result, Vonn reached her 138th World Cup podium finish, further cementing her place among the greatest female skiers in history. Her 82 World Cup victories are second only to Mikaela Shiffrin (100) and Ingemar Stenmark (86). In addition, her track record includes three Olympic medals, including gold in the downhill at the Vancouver 2010 Games. His brilliant form comes less than a year before the Olympic Games in Milano Cortina, where he makes no secret of the fact that he would like to be.
Despite her success, years of crashes and injuries took their toll, leading her to announce her retirement in the middle of the 2019 season due to unbearable pain. However, after undergoing a partial knee replacement last April, Vonn experienced pain-free living for the first time in years, leading her to consider a comeback to finish her career on her own terms.
THE ROAD TO THE PODIUM
Vonn announced her return in November 2024 and returned to the World Cup circuit in December. Although she showed flashes of her old level, such as a fourth-place finish in the super-G in St. Anton, Austria, it wasn’t until the finals in Sun Valley that she made it onto the podium.
On Sunday, on a course that complicated several female skiers, Vonn found the perfect balance between aggressiveness and control. “I tried to stay focused until the end. There were turns all over the course that could catch you, and I tried to be smart,” Vonn explained.
Her performance was enthusiastically received by the crowd, whose cheers grew louder as she neared the finish line. Her time was 1.29 seconds slower than Lara Gut-Behrami, who won gold, but 0.04 seconds faster than Federica Brignone, who took bronze.
AN INSPIRATION TO ALL
Vonn received congratulations from her teammates, including John Kerry, former U.S. Secretary of State, who was also in attendance. He even popped a bottle of champagne to celebrate her achievement along with the U.S. team. “We knew he could do it. She just needed to adjust her equipment,” commented Laura Macuga, who didn’t have a driver’s license the last time Vonn was on a World Cup podium. “It’s great to see her figure that out and do it at home.”
With this result, Vonn is set to continue her road to the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, where she has said she will retire again.
