He does not know how to fit into an ordinary life, in which he is not always the center of attention. She is obviously stupid to ruin her image by taking this step.
Former Swiss skier Sonja Nefová also addressed such words to the legendary Lindsey Vonn, who surprised her by returning to the competitive slopes last year.
At the age of 40 and with an artificial part of her right knee joint, the American took a risk, and it was Nefová who was one of the main critics of her return. According to the former world champion, Vonn could only lose to him.
However, the native of Saint Paul, Minnesota, did not let herself be discouraged, ironically thanked Nefova on the social network for her “kind words” and added that she will not forget them.
Today, almost a year after her return, she can send the Swiss a photo of herself standing on the top step celebrating her 83rd World Cup win.
“I couldn’t be happier. I wasn’t sure how fast I was, but I think I know now. I just called my dad, he was crying a lot. I’ve never heard him so moved in my life. It made me cry too,” she said.
Lindsey, welcome back!
Vonnová not only won the opening race of the season in the Swiss St. Moritzi, but she left her rivals behind, as in the times of her greatest glory.
Although she lost six tenths of a second to the previous leader Mirjam Puchnerová in the upper part, she was the fastest in the remaining three sectors.
VIDEO: Lindsey Vonn’s winning ride in the downhill in St. Moritz 2025
She had the highest speed and her lead at the finish line was hard to believe.
“Where is it going in that racer? Lindsey, welcome back!,” JOJ Sports television commentator Andrej Fuksa shouted in a live broadcast.
The American gave Puchner 1.16 seconds, which is a difference of several classes. In the end, Magdalena Eggerová (0.98 s) was the only one to squeeze under a second deficit, but her life’s drive was somewhat lost in Vonn’s success.
ČT Sport commentator Tomáš Budka talked about the historic performance, and expert Klára Křížová highlighted how Vonnová kept her skis on edge even on uneven surfaces. Thanks to this, she maintained an ideal driving line.
“The audacity with which she allowed herself to cross the technical passage and went all the way to the finish line was incredible,” added former Slovak skier Jana Wolnerová.
Snow Queen
It was the three-time Olympic medalist’s 44th World Cup downhill victory and first overall since March 2018, when she won the Aare downhill.
At the same time, she became the oldest winner of the elite series race. She not only broke the Italian Federica Brignone, but also the men’s record of the Swiss Didier Cuche, who triumphed in the super-G at the age of 37.
“What did Lindsey Vonn just do? At 41, she’s in the shape she’s never been in before. Many didn’t believe her and were skeptical about her comeback.
And here it is. Victory in St. Moritzi is not only historical, but also dominant. Lindsey continues to be the snow queen,” said journalist Lia Capizzi.
“I have to thank all the people who didn’t believe me, because it gives me motivation. I’m surprised that they didn’t realize it until now,” says Vonnová.
Although the victory may seem like a sensation, it is not. Already in the first practice, Vonnová was the fastest, in the second she was affected by the fall of Michele Gisinová, and on Friday she was one of the favorites – at least for the podium.
He is currently working with the Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal, who is one of the best downhill skiers in the history of men’s skiing. In the royal discipline, he won gold at the 2018 Olympics, twice at the World Championships and 14 times in the WC.
VIDEO: Clip from the women’s convention in St. Moritz 2025
“We’ve known each other for about twenty years, we often trained together. When I was struggling last year, he was the first person I called. It made sense for a number of reasons, but you never know how it will really work out.
It’s amazing. He is nice, calm and knows a lot about skiing. He helps me in everything, we talk about the details and he offers me a view from his male perspective.
It’s like training with a best friend, not a trainer. It’s fun,” said Vonnová in an interview with Viktoria Rebensburgová for Eurosport.
The only destination is Cortina
Vonn reportedly gained more than five kilograms of muscle during the summer, completed a complete training, and thus her performance is better than a year ago.
Although in St. Moritzi outclassed the competition in a similar style to Mikaela Shiffrin in slaloms, she was not completely satisfied with her ride.
“I didn’t ski as well as I could. For example, the compression in the lower part could have been better, but overall I tried to be dynamic and clean like in training. It was solid,” she said.
American skier Lindsey Vonn and her coach Aksel Lund Svindal after the downhill in St. Moritzi 2025. (Author: TASR/AP)
Vonnová has one more downhill and also the premiere super-G waiting for her by the end of the week. According to her, the audience has a lot to look forward to, the rivals a little less.
“I’ll try to sleep well and I hope I’ll be ready. I’m also very much looking forward to Sunday’s super-G, because I ski better in it than in the downhill,” she added.
Despite a successful start to the season, Vonn will not be chasing the globes. Her goal is to ski the best she can and she subordinates everything to the Olympic Games.
“I believe that everything will go well and I will be able to compete. I’m doing everything for Cortina, so I have to be careful about how I train and to be healthy in February,” she added before the race in St. Moritz.
