The world's greatest female ski racer Lindsey Vonn has officially retired from the sport after her final race at the World Championships in Are. Here's a look back at her glittering career.
The world's greatest female ski racer Lindsey Vonn has officially retired from the sport after her final race at the World Championships in Are. Here's a look back at her glittering career.
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She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002 as a 17-year-old, finishing 32nd in slalom and sixth in the combined slalom/downhill event.
She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002 as a 17-year-old, finishing 32nd in slalom and sixth in the combined slalom/downhill event.
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Lindsey Kildow -- as she was then before marrying fellow skier Thomas Vonn -- won her first World Cup race with victory in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, in 2004.
Lindsey Kildow -- as she was then before marrying fellow skier Thomas Vonn -- won her first World Cup race with victory in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, in 2004.
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In 2005, Vonn signed with Red Bull and began working with a completely new coaching team. She seemed set for the start of something special.
In 2005, Vonn signed with Red Bull and began working with a completely new coaching team. She seemed set for the start of something special.
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Any momentum from the new deal was slowed during the 2006 Olympics in Italy, though. A fall in practice resulted in a short stay in hospital. She recovered in time to compete but could only manage seventh in the Super G and eighth in the downhill events.
Any momentum from the new deal was slowed during the 2006 Olympics in Italy, though. A fall in practice resulted in a short stay in hospital. She recovered in time to compete but could only manage seventh in the Super G and eighth in the downhill events.
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However, Vonn quickly bounced back and won the first of three straight World Cup titles in 2008 at the age of 23.
However, Vonn quickly bounced back and won the first of three straight World Cup titles in 2008 at the age of 23.
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Golden girl Vonn achieved her Olympic dreams in 2010. She won the Olympic downhill gold at Whistler and added bronze in the super-G.
Golden girl Vonn achieved her Olympic dreams in 2010. She won the Olympic downhill gold at Whistler and added bronze in the super-G.
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Vonn added a fourth World Cup title in 2012, but is still behind Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of six overall crystal globes.
Vonn added a fourth World Cup title in 2012, but is still behind Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of six overall crystal globes.
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Vonn's public profile went galactic when she dated star golfer Tiger Woods for two years between 2013 and 2015.
Vonn's public profile went galactic when she dated star golfer Tiger Woods for two years between 2013 and 2015.
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In 2013, Vonn suffered an horrific crash at the World Championships in Austria. She underwent reconstructive knee surgery and began a long road to recovery. She attempted to return a year later, only to pull out of the 2014 Olympics after aggravating the injury again.
In 2013, Vonn suffered an horrific crash at the World Championships in Austria. She underwent reconstructive knee surgery and began a long road to recovery. She attempted to return a year later, only to pull out of the 2014 Olympics after aggravating the injury again.
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Injuries continued to hamper Vonn. She fractured her left knee in February 2016 in a crash during a World Cup super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra, but raced the combined event the next day before calling an end to her season.
Injuries continued to hamper Vonn. She fractured her left knee in February 2016 in a crash during a World Cup super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra, but raced the combined event the next day before calling an end to her season.
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Vonn worked hard to get back in time to challenge for gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The American left PyeongChang with a bronze medal in the downhill but insisted she was proud to have made it through her injuries.
Vonn worked hard to get back in time to challenge for gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The American left PyeongChang with a bronze medal in the downhill but insisted she was proud to have made it through her injuries.
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Vonn announced the current ski World Cup season would be her last. She is already the most successful woman in World Cup history with 82 victories and was chasing down Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record of 86 victories in her sights.
Vonn announced the current ski World Cup season would be her last. She is already the most successful woman in World Cup history with 82 victories and was chasing down Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record of 86 victories in her sights.
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However, a knee injury from a training crash in November meant she couldn't start her season until January. On her debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she was still struggling with knee pain.
However, a knee injury from a training crash in November meant she couldn't start her season until January. On her debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she was still struggling with knee pain.
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After much soul-searching Vonn announced that she will retire from skiing after competing in the World Championships in Are, Sweden in February 2019. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen," she said.
After much soul-searching Vonn announced that she will retire from skiing after competing in the World Championships in Are, Sweden in February 2019. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen," she said.
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In her opening race at the World Championships, Vonn suffered a heavy crash and careered into safety netting. She was eventually able to ski to the bottom and said she would still compete in the downhill to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
In her opening race at the World Championships, Vonn suffered a heavy crash and careered into safety netting. She was eventually able to ski to the bottom and said she would still compete in the downhill to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Despite her damaged knees, Vonn was able to retire on a positive note. She battled back to win bronze in the downhill -- becoming the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
Despite her damaged knees, Vonn was able to retire on a positive note. She battled back to win bronze in the downhill -- becoming the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
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The American retired four wins short of equaling Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins and the Swedish great (left) was in Are to watch Vonn's final race. "I basically begged him to come here," Vonn said.
The American retired four wins short of equaling Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins and the Swedish great (left) was in Are to watch Vonn's final race. "I basically begged him to come here," Vonn said.
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Lindsey Vonn: Greatest female skier retires
CNN  — 

The clock is ticking on her bid to become the most successful ski racer ever, but Lindsey Vonn has been forced to delay her season debut after injuring her knee in training.

The 34-year-old, who will retire at the end of the season, crashed at Copper Mountain, Colorado, Monday and will miss the three upcoming speed races at Lake Louise, Canada at the end of the month.

Vonn needs five more World Cup wins to beat the 86 of Sweden’s Ingemar Stenmark, but will have to wait until at least a super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland on December 8.

“The good news; I do NOT need surgery,” Vonn posted to her social media accounts. “The bad news; I won’t be able to race in Lake Louise.”

Speed specialist Vonn has clinched 18 wins in 44 starts at Lake Louise and was tipped to close in on Stenmark’s record in the two downhills and a super-G on the Alberta track.

“Lake Louise has always been my favorite stop on the World Cup tour and I am devastated to not be coming this year,” she added. “Don’t worry though, I am down but I am NOT out!!”

Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and videos

Vonn insists she will retire at the end of the season whether or not she breaks the record, set by technical expert Stenmark between 1975 and 1989.

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Published 5:46 AM EST, Wed November 21, 2018
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Lindsey Vonn's furry friends
01:46 - Source: CNN

“If I get it, that would be a dream come true,” she told NBC in October.

“If I don’t, I think I’ve had an incredibly successful career no matter what.”

A single win this year will also make her the oldest woman to win a World Cup race, overtaking Austria’s Elisabeth Goerg who was 33 years and 301 days old.

Vonn’s compatriot Mikalea Shiffrin opened her season account with victory in a slalom in Levi, Finland Saturday to take her World Cup tally to 44 wins.

The 23-year-old Shiffrin will be going for a fourth straight world slalom title at alpine skiing’s biennial World Championships, in Are, Sweden in February.

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Published 5:46 AM EST, Wed November 21, 2018
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PYEONGCHANG-GUN, SOUTH KOREA - FEBRUARY 23: Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States attends a press conference on day 14 of the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games on February 23, 2018 in Gangneung, Pyeongchang, South Korea. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Mikaela Shiffrin: Why I won't be objectified
03:06 - Source: CNN

READ: Shiffrin on idolizing Federer and why she won’t be objectified

READ: Mikeala Shiffrin: Training an Olympic champion

Vonn, who clinched Olympic downhill bronze in South Korea in February to add to a gold and bronze from Vancouver, won her only world titles in downhill and super-G in 2009.