Lindsey Vonn sets new record
Lindsey Vonn broke the longstanding record of women’s World Cup career wins by scoring her 63rd victory in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on 19th of January 2015. With her win in the Downhill race on Sunday she first equaled the previous record set by Austria’s Annemarie Moser-Pröll in 1980. By winning the Super G today Vonn has now set the new record.
CORTINA D’AMPEZZO (Italy) – Vonn’s record came in her only eighth race after return to racing and recovery from serious knee injury. This season, she’d already won the downhill races in Lake Louise, Canada, on December 6 and in Val d’Isère, France, on December 20, 2014. Breaking the all-time record had been one of Vonn’s main goals on her two-year-long comeback journey.
The number of career victories is the record that matters most in Alpine Skiing, since it’s a sign of success and excellence over a long period of time. Vonn scored her first win in December 2004, in Lake Louise. Her record is likely to remain unchallenged for the foreseeable future – her closest challenger among the active competitors is Slovenia’s Tina Maze, who currently has 26 career victories. The men’s equivalent record, owned by Sweden’s Ingemark Stenmark, is 86.
Vonn’s list of successes is impressive: She is already a four-time overall World Cup champion, six-time downhill champion, Olympic gold medalist and one of just six women to win World Cup races in all five disciplines. With the new record of career wins, she writes history as one of the greatest skiers of all time.
With her win today, Vonn is also one step closer to additional records, such as an unprecedented seventh downhill season title. In the 1970s, Annemarie Moser-Pröll won the overall World Cup title six times.
In two weeks’ time, the 2015 Alpine World Ski Championships will be held in Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado, USA. The Championships on Vonn’s home snow are her next major goal and present a chance to add to her previous two World Championship gold medals from 2009, two silver medals she won in 2007 and a third silver in 2011.
“It is incredible – I cannot believe it! It’s been the perfect comeback for me – it simply could not have been any better. It’s like a dream. I gave everything I had – and got everything back!” said Vonn.
“This is a historical record – the old record held for 35 years, that’s a long time!”