Oldest female Alpine skier, Lindsey Vonn, secures a podium finish in a World Cup race, wrapping up her comeback season.
Rewritten Article
In her comeback season at the ripe age of 40, legendary ski racer Lindsey Vonn seizes a second-place finish in a nail-biting super-G race at the World Cup finals, making headlines on March 23, 2025. This remarkable achievement was orchestrated on the challenging and steep Challenger course, where Vonn, exhibiting her vintage form, displayed an electrifying show reminiscent of her past victories.
The American bombshell pumped her ski poles in triumph as she glanced at the scoreboard, embracing the roaring cheers from the sizable crowd. This spectacular performance marked Vonn's return to the World Cup podium since March 15, 2018, when she clinched a third-place finish in a super-G race in Are, Sweden. After undergoing a partial knee replacement, Vonn's resurgence this season stirred the hearts of fans and competitors alike.
Vonn, in her post-race interview, humbly acknowledged the challenges she faced throughout her journey. "You know, I friggin' love skiing, but it's been no walk in the park," Vonn admitted. "I keep proving that anything is possible. I've been knocked down time and time again, both personally and physically. Mentally too. But I pick myself back up, even though it's a tremendous effort. Just putting one foot in front of the other and powering through the tough days leads me to extraordinary moments like today."
Vonn's latest performance makes her the oldest female Alpine ski racer to secure a World Cup podium spot, setting a record by six years. With this breathtaking achievement, Vonn has accumulated 138 career World Cup podiums in her 408th World Cup start, edging ever closer to tying Renate Goetschl of Austria's record for the most starts by a female racer[5].
Federica Brignone, 34-year-old Italian racer, wasn't the least bit surprised by Vonn's impressive performance. "She's Lindsey Vonn," Brignone said matter-of-factly. "She's not some skiier returning from an injury. She possesses exceptional qualities, and she's an amazing champion. Today, she put it all together and demonstrated an exceptional race."
The Swiss standout Lara Gut-Behrami claimed the victory, earning a time of 1 minute, 12.35 seconds, narrowly edging Vonn by 1.29 seconds. This triumph secured the season-long super-G crystal globe for Gut-Behrami, as she managed to overtake Brignone by a small margin. Brignone clocked in third place, 1.33 seconds behind Gut-Behrami[2].
As the final season-long super-G standings unfolded, the rankings ended with Gut-Behrami, Brignone, and Sofia Goggia of Italy.
Gut-Behrami, speaking about her recent success, shared her sentiments, "Two days ago, I finally found joy back on skis again." She continued, "It's easier to ski fast when you enjoy what you're doing. I've been searching for that delight the whole season."
On the previous day, Brignone officially clinched the downhill discipline after the race was canceled, also securing the overall title[2]. The next contest at the World Cup finals is set for Tuesday, featuring a women's giant slalom.
[1] Lindsey Vonn, American Alpine ski racer, wins two Olympic gold medals in Downhill (2010 Vancouver) and Super-G (2010 Vancouver), and captures four World Championships (2008 Val d'Isère, 2009 Val-d'Isère, 2013 Schladming, 2015 Vail/Beaver Creek)
[2] Federica Brignone, 34-year-old Italian Alpine ski racer, achieves a podium finish in nine of the ten super-G races this season, culminating with her victory in Sun Valley and clinching the overall super-G title
[3] Sofia Goggia, Italian Olympic gold medalist in Downhill (2018 PyeongChang), stands as the reigning World Champion in super-G, having clinched the title in 2023 Çerkezkoy
[4] Renate Goetschl, Austrian ski racer, completed 409 World Cup starts in her illustrious career, a record that Vonn is gunning to break
[5] Vonn's latest podium ties Petra Vlhova of Slovakia for 3rd place on the all-time podium list, with 25 World Cup wins, behind only Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States and Annemarie Moser-Pröll of Austria, who boast 68 and 62 victories, respectively
- In spite of being the oldest female Alpine ski racer competing, Lindsey Vonn demonstrates her unwavering dedication to the sport by securing a second-place finish in the slalom portion of the World Cup finals. This achievement, her 138th career World Cup podium, showcases the risks she's willing to take in her comeback season.
- As Lindsey Vonn edges closer to tying Renate Goetschl's record for the most starts by a female racer, her victory in the super-G race on March 23, 2025, and her electrifying performance on the Challenger course have underscored her commitment to Alpine skiing.
- Despite the challenges she has faced both physically and mentally, Lindsey Vonn's determination to excel in the slalom event underscores her passion for the sport and her refusal to back down from competition's risks. Her second-place finish in the World Cup finals serves as yet another testament to her resilience and accomplishments in the face of adversity.
