Champions’ mentality is probably made of alien elements. Well perhaps. Otherwise, there is no plausible explanation for what we witness from champion athletes, oftentimes. Take Lindsey Vonn, for example. After reigning the snow and winning 82 World Cups in all, it would have been easy for her to sit back and enjoy her accolades. But easy is perhaps not what champions do. Thus, after getting a knee replacement, Lindsey Vonn decided to come back to competitive skiing. At the age of 40! And quite expectedly, such a move has made people bow down to her in admiration.
One such example is Sophie Goldschmidt. Being the chief executive of the US Ski and Snowboard Association, Goldschmidt could not help but marvel at Vonn’s resilience. While there were significant concerns regarding how Vonn would fare in the competitive sphere after so many days, the skiing icon threw all the speculations out the window. At the World Cup finals in Sun Valley, Idaho, the Olympic champion finished merely 1.29s after Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami. Moreover, Vonn, at 40, shattered the record for the oldest woman to secure a podium finish. Talk about a comeback!
Following her win, Goldschmidt cannot help but admire the 40-year-old even more. “It was a fantastic way for her to end the season. I knew she had it in her, and she came back really in a strong way at the beginning of the season,” Goldschmidt said while talking to Reuters. And that was not all. Goldschmidt also referred to Vonn as one of the biggest icons not only in skiing but also across all of women’s sports.
She also highlighted the fact that most of the athletes would not have dared to take the leap of faith. Goldschmidt stressed the fact that the Minnesota native did not only fight the obstacles created by her age, but also the ones created by the naysayers, who made a statement that Vonn would not be able to pull it off. Especially, after sitting out for 6 long years. But being the Olympic champion she is, Lindsey Vonn turned around and proved that after many years of dormancy and injuries, she still remains a force to be reckoned with.
Just months back, Vonn was frustrated with the skiing world championships team. While Vonn wanted to pair up with Mikaela Shiffrin, Shiffrin chose Breezy Johnson as her partner. Disappointed significantly, Vonn took to her X account to write, “Why am I not surprised?” followed by a shrug emoji. However, not only did she delete the post soon after, but Vonn also moved on and secured a second place like it was nothing. But for die-hard ski fans, there may be something more exciting to look forward to. Well, there is no denying that the 40-year-old is in her best form since her return. The battle between her and Mikaela Shiffrin at Milan Cortina is bound to be epic. Her latest win was not just a statement to prove critics wrong, it also meant that despite injuries and surgeries, she is just as capable as ever of securing a ticket to the grand Olympic stage at Milan Cortina.
Is Lindsey Vonn already setting her sights on the Olympic run?
“I still have what it takes,” Vonn declared. She further added, “Of course, I have to qualify, but after today, I feel really optimistic about my chances.” Her podium finish in Sun Valley was a powerful reminder of her ability to compete with the best. And with less than a year until the Games, Lindsey is determined to prove she belongs among the top four American skiers who will make the team.
Vonn knows the competition will be fierce, acknowledging the strength of her younger teammates. Highlighting rising stars like Lauren Macuga and world champion Breezy Johnson, Lindsey stated, “Our team is really stacked. There are a lot of incredible skiers.” But the veteran sees her wealth of experience as a decisive advantage. “I will definitely be the oldest, but also the most experienced on that track,” she noted. What the naysayers think is her weakness, the Olympic champion considers her strength. Honestly, this speaks volumes about her confidence and mental preparedness.
If she makes it to Cortina, it will mark her fifth Olympic appearance—one she calls “the most meaningful” of her career. “I hope it inspires others to follow their dreams,” Vonn said. At 40, she’s on the brink of rewriting history, determined to prove that age is just a number.
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