Lindsey Vonn

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Lindsey Vonn was born Lindsey Caroline Kildow in Saint Paul, Minnesota, and grew up in Burnsville. She was on skis at age two before moving into Erich Sailer's renowned development program at Burnsville's Buck Hill. At nine, she met Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street, who became her mentor. Her family moved to Vail, Colorado, in the late 1990s to support her skiing. She made her World Cup debut at age 16 on November 18, 2000, in Park City, Utah. Vonn won her first World Cup race in December 2004 at Lake Louise, Alberta. She earned silver medals in both downhill and super-G at the 2007 World Championships in Åre, Sweden. In 2008, she won her first overall World Cup title, becoming the second American woman to do so, following Tamara McKinney in 1983. She repeated as overall champion in 2009, 2010, and 2012. At the 2009 World Championships in Val-d'Isère, France, she won gold in super-G and downhill. She won the Olympic downhill gold in 2010. In 2016, she won her 20th World Cup crystal globe, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark's record of 19. Injuries caused Vonn to miss parts of several seasons, including almost all of the 2014 season and most of the 2013 season. While recovering, she worked as a correspondent for NBC News, covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. She announced her retirement in 2019, citing her injuries. Vonn returned to competitive skiing in November 2024, and became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner at the age of 41.

Reader's Guide

Lindsey Vonn's significance lies in her record-breaking career in alpine skiing. She won four overall World Cup titles and a record eight downhill season titles, five super-G titles, and three combined titles. Her 20 World Cup crystal globes are the most for any skier, men or women, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark. She is one of six women to have won World Cup races in all five disciplines of alpine skiing – downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super combined. As of January 22, 2026, she has won 84 World Cup races. When she retired in 2019, her total of 82 World Cup victories was a women's record that stood until January 2023, when it was surpassed by Mikaela Shiffrin. Only Shiffrin and Stenmark have more victories than Vonn. Vonn's Olympic gold in downhill in 2010 was a first for an American woman. She also won two World Championship gold medals in 2009 and three silver medals in 2007 and 2011. Vonn received the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award in 2011, and was the United States Olympic Committee's sportswoman of the year. Her return to skiing in 2024 at age 41 and subsequent victory as the oldest downhill winner further underscores her longevity.

Did You Know?

• Vonn won her first World Cup race in December 2004 at Lake Louise, Alberta.
• At the 2006 Winter Olympics, she crashed in a training run, was hospitalized overnight, but returned two days later to finish eighth, earning the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award.
• She broke Tamara McKinney's American record of 18 World Cup victories when she won the super-G at Tarvisio in February 2009.
• Vonn worked as a correspondent for NBC News, covering the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia, while recovering from injury.
• She speaks German fluently.