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 decorated American World Cup alpine ski racer, renowned for her exceptional achievements. She secured four World Cup overall championships, placing her among the top female skiers alongside Annemarie Moser-Pröll and Mikaela Shiffrin. Notably, she achieved three consecutive titles from 2008 to 2010, and another in 2012. Vonn made history by winning the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics, a first for an American woman. She also holds a record eight World Cup season titles in downhill, five in super-G, and three consecutive titles in the combined (2010–2012). In 2016, Vonn surpassed Ingemar Stenmark to achieve a record 20 World Cup crystal globe titles. She holds the third-highest super ranking of all skiers, male or female.

Sections (5)

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

1999: First American Athletes to Win "Cadets" slalom

In 1999, Kildow and Will McDonald became the first American athletes to win 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: Lindsey Kildow Participates in the 2002 Olympics

In 2002, Lindsey Kildow participated in the Olympics and married fellow 2002 Olympian Thomas Vonn on September 29, 2007

2002: Olympic Debut

In 2002, at the age of 17, Kildow made her Olympic debut at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, racing in both slalom and combined, with her best result being sixth in combined.

March 4, 2003: Junior World Championship Silver Medal

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

January 2004: First World Cup Podium Finish

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

March 24, 2004: U.S. Alpine Championships 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 World Cup Victory

In December 2004, Kildow secured her maiden World Cup victory in downhill at Lake Louise, Alberta.

2005: First World Championships

In 2005, Lindsey Vonn competed in four races at her first World Championships held in Bormio, Italy. She achieved fourth-place finishes in both the downhill and the combined.

February 13, 2006: Crash at the Winter Olympics

On February 13, 2006, during the second training run for the downhill race at the Winter Olympics in San Sicario, Italy, Kildow crashed and was hospitalized overnight. Despite the injury, she competed and finished eighth, earning the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award.

2007: World Championships Silver Medals and ACL Sprain

In 2007, Kildow earned silver medals in both downhill and super-G at the World Championships. She also suffered an ACL sprain, ending her season early.

2007: World Championship Silver Medals

In 2007, Lindsey Vonn won silver medals at the World Championships.

2008: First World Cup Overall Championship

In 2008, Lindsey Vonn won her first World Cup overall championship, making her the second American woman to achieve this feat, following Tamara McKinney in 1983. She also secured the World Cup season title in downhill and the U.S. Alpine Championships combined title, marking her best ski season to date.

2008: Overall World Cup Title

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

2009: Second World Cup Overall Championship

In 2009, Lindsey Vonn secured her second consecutive World Cup overall championship, along with the downhill title and the super-G season championship. She also broke Tamara McKinney's American record with her 18th World Cup victory.

2009: World Championship Gold Medals

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

2010: Vancouver Winter Olympics Gold Medal

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

2010: Colorado Athlete of the Year and World Cup Titles

In 2010, Lindsey Vonn was named Colorado Athlete of the Year for 2009. She won her second straight super-G discipline title, the overall title, and discipline titles in downhill, super-G, and combined.

2010: Third World Cup Overall Championship

In 2010, Lindsey Vonn won her third consecutive World Cup overall title, along with discipline titles in downhill, super-G, and combined. She surpassed Bode Miller for the most World Cup victories by an American and was named Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year.

2011: Wins in Lake Louise

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: Competition with Maria Riesch and World Championships

In 2011, Lindsey Vonn faced competition from Maria Riesch and suffered a concussion during training for the World Championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. She achieved a seventh place in super-G and a silver medal in downhill.

2011: World Cup Finals

In 2011, Lindsey Vonn took overall lead after downhill event of the World Cup finals in Lenzerheide but Riesch regained the overall lead after the slalom by 3 points.

2011: World Championship Silver Medals

In 2011, Lindsey Vonn won silver medals at the World Championships.

January 2012: 50th World Cup Victory

In January 2012, Lindsey Vonn achieved her fiftieth World Cup victory and surpassed Götschl for second most career DH wins.

2012: Fourth World Cup Overall Championship

In 2012, Lindsey Vonn won her fourth Overall World Cup Title.

2012: Fourth Overall World Cup Title

In 2012, Vonn secured her fourth Overall World Cup Title and became the 6th woman to have won all events at least once.

November 20, 2013: Vonn Re-injures Knee During Training

On November 20, 2013, Lindsey Vonn re-injured her right knee during training, straining it and partially tearing her right ACL after a crash. She later returned to competition in December.

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

On December 21, 2013, Lindsey Vonn re-injured her right knee while skiing in France, which ultimately led to her withdrawal from the 2014 Winter Olympics.

2013: Vonn Crashes at World Championships

During the 2013 World Championships in Schladming, Austria, Lindsey Vonn crashed in the super-G, resulting in a torn anterior cruciate ligament, a torn medial collateral ligament, and a tibial plateau fracture in her right knee. Despite the severity of the injury, Vonn expressed her determination to be ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

2013: Wins in Lake Louise

In 2013, Lindsey Vonn swept all three races in Lake Louise, increasing her record for most career wins at a single resort to 14 and moving her past Vreni Schneider into second place all-time among women.

2013: World Cup Season Downhill Title

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

January 7, 2014: Vonn Announces Withdrawal from 2014 Winter Olympics

On January 7, 2014, Lindsey Vonn announced she would not compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics because of a re-injury to her right knee on December 21, 2013. She expressed devastation and announced upcoming surgery in preparation for the World Championships.

December 6, 2014: Vonn Wins World Cup Downhill Race

On December 6, 2014, Lindsey Vonn made a comeback, winning the women's World Cup downhill race at Lake Louise, Alberta, marking her return to the top of the podium after her injury.

2014: Vonn Aims for 2014 Winter Olympics Return

Following her injury in 2013, Lindsey Vonn aimed to be ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics despite a torn ACL and MCL. Although she planned to compete in the 2014 Alpine Skiing World Cup, she ultimately decided not to compete during the first weekend.

2014: Vonn Plans Return to Competition

In 2014, Lindsey Vonn traveled to Austria for the Alpine Skiing World Cup but chose not to compete in the first weekend, planning her return for late November. She emphasized a cautious approach to racing in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

2014: NBC News Correspondent

In 2014, while recovering from injury, Lindsey Vonn worked as a correspondent for NBC News, covering the Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.

January 2015: Vonn Overtakes Moser-Proell for World Cup Wins Record

In January 2015, Lindsey Vonn tied and then surpassed Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proell for the most World Cup wins ever, marking a significant milestone in her career.

March 18, 2015: Vonn Claims World Cup Downhill Title

On March 18, 2015, Lindsey Vonn won the last World Cup downhill race at Meribel, France, securing her seventh World Cup downhill title, tying with Moser-Proell for the women's record of seven globes in one discipline. She also achieved her 113th World Cup podium, tying Moser-Proell's women's record.

2015: Vonn Wins Bronze at 2015 World Championships

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

2015: World Cup Season Titles

In 2015, Lindsey Vonn won her eighth World Cup season title in the downhill discipline and her fifth title in super-G.

November 11, 2016: Vonn Fractures Arm in Training Crash

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 underwent surgery to repair the bone.

2016: 20th World Cup Crystal Globe Title

In 2016, Lindsey Vonn won her 20th World Cup crystal globe title, setting an overall record for both men and women and surpassing Ingemar Stenmark.

January 15, 2017: Vonn Returns to World Cup After Injury

On January 15, 2017, Lindsey Vonn returned to the World Cup after recovering from a fractured arm, finishing 13th in the downhill race at Altenmarkt.

October 2018: Vonn Announces Retirement Plans

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, prioritizing her long-term physical health over breaking Ingemar Stenmark's record. She initially aimed to compete in all downhills and super-Gs, debuting at Lake Louise.

2018: Vonn Wins Bronze at 2018 Winter Olympics

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Lindsey Vonn tied for 6th in women's super-G and won the bronze medal in women's downhill, dedicating her races to her grandfather, a Korean War veteran, who died the previous November. She competed with his initials on her helmet.

January 2019: Vonn Considers Immediate Retirement at Cortina d'Ampezzo

In January 2019, Lindsey Vonn made her season debut at Cortina d'Ampezzo, finishing 15th and 9th in the two downhills, but considered retiring immediately after failing to finish the super-G race.

January 2023: Vonn Skis the Streif

In January 2023, Lindsey Vonn became the first woman to ski the Streif, a challenging downhill course, although she did so on her own and not in a competitive setting.