Lindsey Vonn made a short yet encouraging trip last week to St.Moritz during the recent World Cup Finals to pick up her 20th crystal globe after the downhill race that she could unfortunately not enter as she is still recovering from her knee-injury sustained last month during her bad crash in a Super-G in Andorra.
Lindsey Vonn made a short yet encouraging trip last week to St. Moritz during the recent World Cup Finals to pick up her 20th crystal globe after the downhill race that she could unfortunately not enter as she is still recovering from her knee-injury sustained last month during her bad crash in a Super-G in Andorra.
The American star, who has been regularly competing in the famous Swiss resort since 2001, greatly enjoyed returning at the bottom of the Corviglia course where she already celebrated a total of six wins in three disciplines in the last ten years as well as half a dozen podium finishes.
“It’s nice to be back here even though I’m really sorry I can’t race again this year, I would have greatly enjoyed fighting for more globes here this week,” she told the press as she was walking around the finish area with using crutches.
“St. Moritz is such a nice location and the slopes around are really spectacular too. I had fun fighting hard for victories here in past years,” added the skier from Vail after collecting her eighth downhill globe at the awards ceremony.
“I’m looking forward to return here in good shape next February and fight for more medals. This was one of the main reasons why I preferred ending my season after that crash last month. I didn’t want to take any risk now with my health in order to be able to better prepare the next two seasons which are so crucial for me,” also commented Vonn who has been aiming for more gold medals after her great successes at Val d’Isère in 2009 and Vancouver in 2010. She clinched a total of eight medals from 2007 to 2015 at FIS World Championships and Olympics.
Her nine victories this winter in downhill, Super-G and giant slalom made her reasonably hoping to clinch a fifth overall World Cup title and get closer to the record of 86 World Cup wins by Sweden’s skiing legend Ingemar Stenmark who excelled in the 1970s and 1980s, yet Lindsey needs now to wait at least another season to fulfill that ambition.
“It’s always good to have that sort of high goals left, it’ll help me to remain motivated and focused during the off-season when I’ll again spend much time and energy to train and improve my shape,” she explained at St. Moritz. “I think I can be proud of my level of performance this season, I could have been one of my best ever in fact. I had some bad luck in a few occasions yet I also achieved some very exciting runs. I know it’ll be harder for me in future to face very determined younger racers who are skiing very well too, but this is also part of the challenges that push me ahead. I wish to show that I still have a lot in me to give for my athletic activity”.
Among the numerous season-highlights that Lindsey Vonn likes to discuss is her meeting with Stenmark himself at the finish area of the City Event in Stockholm in which she took part in February. “It was wonderful to chat with him, he is such a legend and a very nice person too,” she said. “I hope to meet him soon again because I’m curious to know how he managed to win so many races over a period of fifteen years, which is pretty amazing.”
Lindsey Vonn was also happy to acquire an adorable Cavalier King Charles spaniel she named Lucy in Italy last January and bring it over to her home. “It was so great to be in her company for most of the European season, she is a great companion,” she also told the press. “My two other dogs were not so pleased to meet her when I brought her back, but I hope things will cool down between them.”
