Lindsey Vonn is set to test out the downhill and super-G courses as a forerunner ahead of the World Cup races scheduled for this weekend in Beaver Creek, Colorado. The U.S. Ski Team has confirmed her role for this important task. As a forerunner, Vonn will ski the course before the official competition to ensure that everything is in order, including the smooth running of the course and the proper functioning of the timing system. The upcoming races include a downhill event on Saturday on the challenging Birds of Prey course and a super-G race on Sunday.
The 40-year-old Vonn is making a comeback after nearly six years since her last major race. She recently participated in lower-level downhill and super-G competitions at Copper Mountain last weekend to accumulate enough points to be eligible for World Cup events. Although she did not qualify in time for the Beaver Creek races, Vonn has not disclosed a specific timeline for her return to the World Cup circuit. Her last significant competition was in February 2019, where she secured a third-place finish in the downhill at the world championships in Sweden. Various injuries, including to her knee, led to her retirement.
Following a partial knee replacement in April, Vonn has been steadily regaining her strength on the slopes as she fine-tunes her ski equipment and readjusts to high speeds. In a recent interview, Vonn expressed her motivation for returning, stating, 'Life is really short, and I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. But I know what I’m going to do today — I’m going to have fun.'
When Vonn exited the tour, she held the record for the most World Cup wins by a woman with 82 victories, approaching the all-time Alpine record of 86 wins set by Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark. However, her record was surpassed in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who now boasts 99 wins, making her the most successful Alpine ski racer in history.
Meanwhile, Shiffrin is currently recuperating from a crash during a giant slalom event in Killington, Vermont, on Nov. 30. Although she sustained muscle trauma and an abdominal puncture wound, there was no significant ligament or bone damage. Consequently, Shiffrin will not be participating in the upcoming races at Beaver Creek.
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