Sun Valley (United States) (AFP) – Lindsey Vonn said Friday she is relishing what could be her final races on US soil this weekend as the Alpine skiing World Cup season reaches its climax in Idaho. Vonn, 40, stunned the world of skiing this season after making a competitive return to World Cup racing after a near six-year absence. The American speed queen, who is dreaming of taking part in her fifth Winter Olympics next year, will aim to continue her comeback on Saturday, when she lines up in the women’s downhill at Sun Valley.
Vonn said Saturday’s downhill — and Sunday’s Super-G, where she is also due to take part — may be her final competitive appearances on American slopes. “When I heard the World Cup finals were in Sun Valley, I was really sad because I was like, ‘Well, I really would have loved to race there.’ And lo and behold, I’m here racing,” Vonn said on Friday. “So I think to be able to be racing at home, especially racing speed is really special. This is maybe my last chance to race at home in my lifetime and I am going to enjoy it.”
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Vonn is competing at the season-ending finals for the first time since 2018, a stage she enjoys. “I always love finals. I like racing with the men. I think it’s a lot more exciting and the atmosphere is nice,” Vonn said. “It’s spring so it’s not as cold and just overall finals are always fun. – ‘Like riding a bike’ – “So it’s nice to be back and as (US team-mate) Breezy (Johnson) so kindly pointed out yesterday at the team meeting, I am, I think, the oldest woman to ever make a World Cup finals,” she added. “I’ll take it.”
Vonn got her first look at Saturday’s downhill course on Friday, describing it as “fun” and “challenging.” “You need to be challenged and that’s what I enjoy – challenging myself,” she said. “This course is a fun challenge for me.” Reflecting on her comeback season, Vonn added that while she was satisfied with her progress, it had taken her longer than anticipated to get her equipment sorted out. “I learned that I haven’t forgotten anything, you know. It’s like riding a bike. I know exactly what I need to do and everything came back very quickly,” she said.
“What surprised me was more the fact that, you know, my equipment would take so long to figure out. I kind of underestimated that challenge but the sport hasn’t changed that much since I left. I just have to figure out my equipment and I think I’ll be in a good place.” Vonn also hopes that her example will inspire other women to see age as just a number. “I think there’s just an expectation of, especially women at a certain age, you need to be doing a certain thing and I don’t believe in that at all,” she said. “You have to keep an open mind. If you feel good, if you mentally have the drive, there’s no reason why you should stop doing what you love to do.
“The reason why I stopped before was because my body wasn’t working and now that my body is working again, you know, my mind is able to do what it wants to do, which is go fast.”
© 2024 AFP
