Lindsey Vonn is going to enter an official ski race for the first time in nearly six years this weekend at age 40. Vonn announced last month that she was coming out of retirement and she will race lower-level FIS downhills and super-Gs on Saturday and Sunday in Copper Mountain, Colorado.
FILE - Bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn of the United States hold the Stars and Stripes during the flower ceremony for the Women’s super-G at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb.
20, 2010. FILE - Lindsey Vonn of the United States, reacts in the finish area after completing the Women’s downhill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb. 17, 2010. FILE - Bronze medal winner Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, smiles during the flower ceremony for the women’s downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Jeongseon, South Korea, Feb. 21, 2018. 20, 2010. 20, 2010. FILE - Lindsey Vonn of the United States, reacts in the finish area after completing the Women’s downhill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb. 17, 2010. FILE - Lindsey Vonn of the United States, reacts in the finish area after completing the Women’s downhill at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Feb. 17, 2010. FILE - Bronze medal winner Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, smiles during the flower ceremony for the women’s downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Jeongseon, South Korea, Feb. 21, 2018. FILE - Bronze medal winner Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, smiles during the flower ceremony for the women’s downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Jeongseon, South Korea, Feb. 21, 2018. , Vonn will race lower-level FIS downhills and super-Gs on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, in Copper Mountain, Colorado, U.S. Ski Team head coach Paul Kristofic told The Associated Press. Vonn needs some decent results to improve her long-dormant ranking so she can enter World Cup races this season under a new wild card rule. “Obviously her history speaks for itself and she’s definitely the most decorated speed skier out there and has done amazing things throughout her career,” Kristofic said Wednesday. “So it will be really, really fun and interesting to see what she can do.” It’s likely that many of the current World Cup racers will be competing alongside Vonn at Copper Mountain.Her 82 World Cup race victories stood as the record for a woman until that total was eclipsed in January 2023, who is still active and is now up to 99 wins — more than any Alpine ski racer in the history of the sport.Swiss skier Camille Rast gets first World Cup win in slalom as Mikaela Shiffrin sits out after crashJust this April, years after leaving the World Cup circuit, she had surgery for a partial knee replacement. During training at Copper Mountain with the rest of the U.S. team, Kristofic said Vonn’s performance was “really promising.” “It’s getting better every time she goes out on the hill. It’s been a lot of work to catch up after five years away. But she’s motivated and pushing hard and I think really enjoying it, too,” he said.“I think it will be a building process,” Kristofic said. “The full race intensity is something that’s difficult to replicate. But I think if she stays healthy and continues to improve the way she is, I think she will be competitive.”Tom Brady and others performed well beyond age 40Serena Williams reached the Australian Open semifinals at age 39 in 2021.LeBron James is still going ahead of his 40th birthday this month.No woman older than 34 has won a World Cup ski race The oldest woman to win a World Cup downhill was Vonn herself at age 33 in Are, Sweden, in March 2018.The oldest man to win a race was Didier Cuche at 37 in a super-G in Crans Montana, Switzerland, in 2012.set the record for the oldest podium finisher with a second-place result in the famed Hahnenkamm downhill in Kitzbuehel, Austria, at age 42 in January 2023. Bill Johnson, the first U.S. skier to win an Olympic downhill title, suffered brain injuries when he crashed badly at age 40 during a comeback attempt. Johnson died five years later.took advantage of the wild card rule and recently returned after five years away. But then Hirscher tore his left ACL while training in giant slalom and announced on Tuesday thatBreezy Johnson, one of the U.S. team’s most accomplished downhillers since Vonn’s retirement, is due to return for races in Beaver Creek, Colorado, this month after“She’s had to figure it out on her own and she’s done a good job with that,” he said. Shiffrin suffered a deep puncture wound on the right side of her abdomen and “severe muscle trauma” but no serious bone, ligament or organ damage.“Something sharp went through everything, including her suit. It was a pretty massive impact on the base of the gate,” he said. Kristofic also cited strong results from the rest of the giant slalom team, with Katie Hensien finishing fourth in Soelden and Nina O’Brien sixth in Killington — both career bests; and promising 19-year-old Elisabeth Bocock earning her first World Cup points in Killington.Dampf is an Associated Press sports writer based in Rome. He covers a wide variety of sports in Italy and Europe.
Alpine Skiing Fidelity National Information Services Inc. Serena Williams Tom Brady Phil Mickelson Paul Kristofic Dara Torres Colorado Sports - Europe CO State Wire Didier Cuche Sports Elisabeth Bocock Nina Obrien Bill Johnson Marcel Hirscher Mikaela Shiffrin Johan Clarey Katie Hensien Austria
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