Olympics
Lindsey Vonn, one of the United States’ most famous Olympians, won a bronze medal Wednesday, becoming the oldest female medalist in Alpine skiing at the Winter Games in what will likely be her final downhill run, reports Fox News.
Vonn, 33, surpassed Austria’s Michaela Dorfmeister, who was just shy of her 33rd birthday when she won the downhill and the super-G at the 2006 Turin Olympics.
“It’s sad, this is my last downhill. I wish I could keep going you know? I have so much fun, I love what I do,” she said. “My body just probably can’t take another for years.”
Sofia Goggia of Italy won the women’s downhill at Jeongseon Alpine Center. Vonn was hopeful of a higher finish before Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway turned in a surprise silver-medal performance as the 19th racer on the course.
But shocking finishes seem to be the norm on this hill. Ester Ledecka of Czech Republic made a late charge last week from back in the pack to take the super-G title. She skipped the downhill to step back into the snowboarding realm and will go through qualifying Thursday in the parallel giant slalom.
The night before the race, she Tweeted: “Tomorrow I will push out of the starting gate in what will most likely be my last Olympic Downhill race. I’m trying to enjoy the moment as much as I can and I am thankful to share this race with such amazing teammates. I know everyone expects a lot from me, and I expect even … more of myself … however there’s only one thing I can guarantee; I will give everything I have tomorrow. Count on it.”
Goggia finished in a time of 1 minute, 39.22 seconds to hold off Mowinckel by 0.09 seconds. Vonn was 0.47 seconds behind Goggia.
