Career Timeline of Lindsey Vonn: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Lindsey Vonn made an impact.

Lindsey Vonn is a highly decorated American alpine ski racer, renowned for her exceptional achievements in the sport. She secured four World Cup overall championships in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2012. A defining moment in her career was winning the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, marking a historic first for an American woman. Vonn dominated the World Cup circuit, achieving a record eight season titles in downhill, five in super-G, and three consecutive titles in the combined (2010–2012). In 2016, she surpassed Ingemar Stenmark to claim her 20th World Cup crystal globe title, setting an overall record for both men and women. She holds the third highest super ranking among all skiers.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

1999: Cadets Slalom Events Winner

In 1999, Kildow and Will McDonald won the "Cadets" slalom events in Italy's Trofeo Topolino di Sci Alpino.

November 18, 2000: World Cup Debut

On November 18, 2000, at the age of 16, Kildow made her World Cup debut in Park City, Utah.

2002: Olympic Debut

In 2002, Kildow made her Olympic debut at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, racing in slalom and combined, achieving sixth place in combined.

March 4, 2003: Junior World Championship Silver Medal

On March 4, 2003, she earned a silver medal in downhill at the Junior World Championship in Puy Saint-Vincent, France.

January 2004: First World Cup Podium

In January 2004, Kildow achieved her first World Cup podium with a third-place finish in downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

March 24, 2004: Downhill Silver Medal

On March 24, 2004, Kildow won the downhill silver medal at the U.S. Alpine Championships at Mt. Alyeska Resort, Girdwood, Alaska.

December 2004: Maiden Victory

In December 2004, she captured her maiden victory in downhill at Lake Louise, Alberta.

2005: World Championships

In 2005, Kildow competed in four races at her first World Championships held in Bormio, Italy, and earned fourth-place finishes in downhill and combined.

2005: Winning a Cow

In 2005, after winning a downhill race at Val d'Isère, Lindsey Vonn was offered a pregnant Tarine cow, named Olympe.

2007: World Championships Silver Medals

In 2007, Kildow earned her first "big race" medals with silver in both downhill and super-G at the World Championships in Åre, Sweden.

2008: World Cup Overall Championship Title

In 2008, Lindsey Vonn won her first World Cup overall championship title.

2008: Overall World Cup Title

In 2008, Lindsey Vonn won the overall World Cup title, becoming the second American woman to do so after Tamara McKinney.

2009: World Championship Gold Medals

In 2009, Lindsey Vonn achieved two World Championship gold medals.

2009: World Cup Overall Championship Title

In 2009, Lindsey Vonn secured her second World Cup overall championship.

2009: Winning a Goat

In 2009, Lindsey Vonn won a goat, which she gave to a farmer in Austria.

2010: World Cup Overall Championship & Olympic Gold

In 2010, Lindsey Vonn won her third World Cup overall championship and the gold medal in downhill at the Winter Olympics, the first for an American woman.

2010: Awards and Titles

In 2010, Vonn was named Colorado Athlete of the Year, clinched her second straight super-G discipline title, won the overall title, discipline titles in downhill, super-G and combined and was also named by the Associated Press as 2010 Female Athlete of the Year.

2010: 2010 Winter Olympics Gold Medal

In 2010, at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Vonn won the gold medal in the downhill, becoming the first American woman to achieve this.

2011: 2011 World Championships

At the 2011 World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Vonn suffered from a concussion she acquired during training a week earlier. She started in 2 events and achieved a seventh place in super-G and a silver medal in downhill.

2011: Lake Louise Wins

From December 2–4, 2011, Lindsey Vonn won all three races in Lake Louise, Alberta and with her eleventh win at Lake Louise she surpassed Renate Götschl's record for most career wins at a single resort.

2011: World Championship Silver Medals

In 2011, Lindsey Vonn won three silver medals in world championships.

2011: World Cup Lead

In 2011, Vonn took overall lead for first time that season after downhill event of the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide.

January 2012: Third Most Successful Female World Cup Racer

With victories in January 2012, Lindsey Vonn overtook Götschl to become the third most successful female World Cup racer in terms of victories.

2012: World Cup Overall Championship Title

In 2012, Lindsey Vonn secured her fourth World Cup overall championship title.

2012: Fourth Overall World Cup Title

Lindsey Vonn won her fourth Overall World Cup Title in 2012, becoming the 6th woman to have won all events at least once.

November 20, 2013: Vonn Re-injures Knee

On November 20, 2013, Lindsey Vonn re-injured her right knee while training, straining it and partially tearing her right ACL after a crash.

December 21, 2013: Vonn Re-Injures Knee in France

On December 21, 2013, Lindsey Vonn re-injured her right knee while skiing in France.

2013: Injury at World Championships

During the 2013 World Championships in Schladming, Austria, Lindsey Vonn crashed in the super-G event. She was airlifted to a hospital and diagnosed with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament in her right knee, and a tibial plateau fracture.

2013: Marginal Results and Lake Louise Wins

In 2013, Lindsey Vonn had a slow start to the season, affected by illness and had marginal results in giant slalom and skipped some slalom races. She recovered quickly in speed events, winning all three races in Lake Louise, Alberta between November 30 and December 2, for her third career 'hat trick,' increasing her record for most career wins at a single resort to 14. With three wins, she moved past Vreni Schneider into second place all-time among women with 56 career wins, behind Annemarie Moser-Pröll with 62.

2013: World Cup Season Title

In 2013, Lindsey Vonn won her sixth consecutive World Cup season title in the downhill discipline.

January 7, 2014: Vonn withdraws from 2014 Winter Olympics

On January 7, 2014, Lindsey Vonn announced that she would not compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics due to a re-injury of her right knee on December 21, 2013. She stated that her knee was too unstable to compete at that level and that she would undergo surgery in preparation for the World Championships in Vail the following February.

December 6, 2014: World Cup Downhill Victory

On December 6, 2014, Lindsey Vonn made a comeback to the top of the podium, winning the women's World Cup downhill race at Lake Louise, Alberta in only her second race back.

2014: NBC News Correspondent

During her recovery from injury in 2014, Lindsey Vonn worked as a correspondent for NBC News, covering the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

2014: Winning a Calf

In 2014, Lindsey Vonn won a calf in Val d'Isère and, as of 2014, she owned a small herd of cows on the farm.

2014: Preparation for 2014 Winter Olympics

In December 2013, Lindsey Vonn discussed her preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics, stating she would "play it safe and race minimal races" to regain confidence and timing while racing.

2014: Vonn's Olympic Readiness

Lindsey Vonn announced in 2013, following her injury at the World Championships, that she would be ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

January 2015: Ties and overtakes Moser-Proell for World Cup wins

In January 2015, Lindsey Vonn tied and then overtook Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell for the most World Cup wins ever.

March 18, 2015: World Cup Downhill Title

On March 18, 2015, Lindsey Vonn won the last World Cup downhill race at Meribel, France, claiming the World Cup downhill title for the seventh time, tying with Moser-Proell for the women's record of seven globes in one discipline.

2015: 2015 World Championships Medal

At the 2015 World Championships in Vail / Beaver Creek, Colorado, Lindsey Vonn won a bronze medal in the super-G event. She placed 5th in the downhill race and 14th in the giant slalom race.

2015: Founding of Lindsey Vonn Foundation

In 2015, Lindsey Vonn founded the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which provides "essential enrichment and sports-based scholarships and empowerment programs to girls from underserved communities" across the United States.

2015: World Cup Season Titles

In 2015, Lindsey Vonn secured World Cup season titles in the downhill and super-G disciplines.

November 11, 2016: Fractured Arm

On November 11, 2016, Lindsey Vonn announced on her Facebook page that she had severely fractured the humerus bone of her right arm in a training crash and had undergone surgery to repair it.

2016: 20th World Cup Crystal Globe Title

In 2016, Lindsey Vonn won her 20th World Cup crystal globe title, surpassing Ingemar Stenmark's record.

January 15, 2017: Return to World Cup

On January 15, 2017, Lindsey Vonn returned to the World Cup in the downhill race at Altenmarkt, finishing 13th.

October 2018: Announcement of Retirement

In October 2018, Lindsey Vonn announced that she would retire from competition at the end of the 2018-19 FIS Alpine Ski World Cup season, regardless of whether she broke Ingemar Stenmark's record for World Cup race victories. She explained that she needed to focus on her long-term physical health.

2018: 2018 Winter Olympics Performance

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn tied for 6th in the women's super-G and won the bronze medal in the women's downhill. She dedicated her Olympic races to her grandfather, a Korean War veteran who died the previous November, competing with his initials on her helmet. She scattered some of his ashes near the men's downhill racing course.

2018: Last World Cup Win Until 2025

Lindsey Vonn's win on December 12, 2025, was her first World Cup win since 2018.

January 2019: Consideration of Immediate Retirement and Season Debut

In January 2019, Lindsey Vonn made her season debut at Cortina d'Ampezzo, finishing 15th and 9th in the two downhills. After failing to finish the super-G, she considered retiring immediately. On February 1, she announced that she would retire after the 2019 World Championships taking place in Sweden.

February 10, 2019: Winning Bronze Medal

On February 10, 2019, P. K. Subban traveled to Åre, Sweden, to watch Lindsey Vonn win a bronze medal in the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships Downhill.

2019: Retirement Announcement

In 2019, Lindsey Vonn announced her retirement from competitive skiing due to injuries.

2019: Retirement from Ski Racing

Lindsey Vonn retired from ski racing in 2019, holding a record of 82 World Cup victories.

January 2023: Skiing the Streif

In January 2023, Lindsey Vonn became the first woman to ski the Streif, though on her own and not competitively.

November 14, 2024: Announcement of Return to Competitive Skiing

On November 14, 2024, Lindsey Vonn announced her return to competitive skiing after undergoing successful knee replacement surgery seven months prior.

December 7, 2024: Return Race at Copper Mountain

On December 7, 2024, Lindsey Vonn made her return to racing in a downhill race at the FIS Fall Festival at Copper Mountain, Colorado, finishing 24th out of 45 skiers.

December 21, 2024: World Cup Comeback

On December 21, 2024, Lindsey Vonn made her comeback to the World Cup in St. Moritz, Switzerland, finishing 14th in the Super-G.

January 11, 2025: Sixth Place in St. Anton Downhill

On January 11, 2025, Lindsey Vonn finished sixth in her first World Cup downhill race after returning to the Ski World Cup, in St. Anton, 0.58 seconds behind the winner Federica Brignone.

March 23, 2025: World Cup Podium

On March 23, 2025, Lindsey Vonn attained her first World Cup podium in seven years when she came second in the super-G at the season finals in Sun Valley, Idaho.

December 12, 2025: Oldest Downhill Winner

On December 12, 2025, Lindsey Vonn became the oldest downhill skiing World Cup winner in St. Moritz, at the age of 41, claiming her 83rd World Cup win and first since 2018.

December 23, 2025: Qualification for 2026 Winter Olympics

On December 23, 2025, it was confirmed Lindsey Vonn had qualified for the 2026 Winter Olympics, her fifth and final Olympic appearance.

January 30, 2026: Crash in World Cup Downhill

On January 30, 2026, Lindsey Vonn suffered a crash in the World Cup downhill in Crans-Montana, the final downhill before the Olympics, and was airlifted off the course.

February 3, 2026: Intention to Compete Despite Injury

On February 3, 2026, Lindsey Vonn confirmed she had ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) but announced her intention to compete at the Olympics despite the injury sustained just a week before.