Who is athlete Lindsey Vonn?
Lindsey Vonn, born Lindsey Caroline Kildow on October 18, 1984, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, is an American former alpine ski racer. Competing primarily in downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combined, and slalom events, she became one of the most successful female ski racers in history. Vonn won four overall Alpine Ski World Cup titles, an Olympic gold medal in downhill, and multiple world championship medals during a career that made her a leading figure in international skiing.
Background/biography
Vonn grew up in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area and began skiing as a child. Her family supported her development in the sport, and she trained at Buck Hill in Minnesota under coach Erich Sailer. As her ability advanced, her family relocated to Vail, Colorado, where she could pursue more intensive ski training.
She attended the University of Missouri High School, an online program, while balancing her education with travel and competition. Vonn joined the United States Ski Team as a teenager and entered elite international competition in the early 2000s. She competed under the surname Kildow early in her career and later used the name Lindsey Vonn.
Alpine skiing career
- Four overall Alpine Ski World Cup titles: 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012.
- Olympic gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
- Olympic bronze medal in super-G at the 2010 Winter Olympics.
- Two gold medals at the 2009 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, in downhill and super-G.
- Eight FIS Alpine Ski World Championship medals overall, including downhill gold in 2009.
- Achieved 82 Alpine Ski World Cup race victories, a women’s record at the time of her retirement.
- Won World Cup discipline titles across downhill, super-G, combined, giant slalom, and slalom.
- Won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2019 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships, her final major championship event.
Vonn made her World Cup debut in 2000 and developed into a dominant speed-event specialist, particularly in downhill and super-G. Her career also included success in technical disciplines, helping her become one of the few skiers to win World Cup races in all five alpine disciplines.
Injuries were a major part of her later career. She suffered several serious knee injuries and fractures, including injuries that prevented her from competing at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Despite repeated rehabilitation periods, she returned to World Cup competition and continued adding victories and championship medals.
Vonn announced her retirement from competitive skiing in 2019 after the world championships in Åre, Sweden. Her 82 World Cup wins stood as the women’s record until Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed it.
A record-setting final chapter
Vonn’s final race, the downhill at the 2019 world championships, ended with a bronze medal. The result was notable because she had announced that persistent injuries made it impossible to continue racing at the level she expected of herself. Her retirement marked the end of a career spanning nearly two decades of top-level international competition.
Beyond competition, Vonn has been involved in philanthropy through the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which supports girls through scholarships, educational opportunities, and sports-related programming.
Net worth
Public estimates of Lindsey Vonn’s net worth have varied widely, and there is no single officially verified figure. Her income has included prize money, endorsement agreements, media appearances, speaking engagements, and business activities, in addition to work connected with her charitable foundation.
Facts about Lindsey Vonn
- She was the first American woman to win Olympic gold in downhill skiing.
- Vonn named her dogs after people she admired; one of her dogs, Leo, was named for Leonardo DiCaprio.
- She has written a memoir, Strong Is the New Beautiful, published in 2016.
- She was awarded the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year honor in 2010.
- Her 82 World Cup race wins matched the overall record held by Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark before later records were surpassed.
- She has worked as a television sports commentator and analyst following her competitive skiing career.
