Lindsey Vonn facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lindsey Vonn

Alpine skier
Lindsey Vonn at Laureus World Sports Awards in April 2024
Disciplines	Downhill, super-G, giant slalom, combined (also slalom before 2012)
Club	Vail SSC
Born	Lindsey Caroline Kildow (1984-10-18) October 18, 1984 (age 40) St. Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Height	5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
World Cup debut	November 18, 2000 (age 16)
Retired	February 10, 2019 — November 14, 2024
Olympics
Teams	4 – (2002, 2006, 2010, 2018)
Medals	3 (1 gold)
World Championships
Teams	7 – (2005–19)
Medals	8 (2 gold)
World Cup
Seasons	20 – (2001–2019, 2025)
Wins	82 – (43 DH, 28 SG, 4 GS, 2 SL, 5 SC)
Podiums	137 – (66 DH, 46 SG, 6 GS, 5 SL, 13 SC, 1 PSL)
Overall titles	4 – (2008–10, 2012)
Discipline titles	16 – (8 DH, 5 SG, 3 SC)
Medal record Women's alpine skiing Representing the  United States International alpine ski competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 0 2 World Championships 2 3 3 World Cup race podiums Event 1st 2nd 3rd Downhill 43 16 7 Super-G 28 11 7 Giant 4 1 1 Slalom 2 2 1 Combined 5 5 3 Parallel 0 0 1 Olympic Games Gold 2010 Vancouver Downhill Bronze 2010 Vancouver Super-G Bronze 2018 Pyeongchang Downhill World Championships Gold 2009 Val-d'Isère Downhill Gold 2009 Val-d'Isère Super-G Silver 2007 Åre Downhill Silver 2007 Åre Super-G Silver 2011 Garmisch Downhill Bronze 2015 Beaver Creek Super-G Bronze 2017 St. Moritz Downhill Bronze 2019 Åre Downhill Junior World Ski Championships Silver 2003 Puy St. Vincent Downhill Silver 2004 Maribor Downhill Bronze 2004 Maribor Giant slalom

Lindsey Caroline Vonn (born October 18, 1984) is a famous American alpine ski racer. She is one of the most successful skiers of all time. Lindsey won four overall World Cup championships. This means she was the best skier across all events in those years.

She earned a gold medal in downhill skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics. This was a first for an American woman. Lindsey also holds a record eight World Cup titles in downhill. She has won 82 World Cup races in total. This was a women's record until 2023. Only two other skiers, Mikaela Shiffrin and Ingemar Stenmark, have won more races.

Lindsey Vonn is one of only six women to win World Cup races in all five alpine skiing events. These events are downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super combined. She has won many awards, including the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year. Lindsey retired in 2019 due to injuries. However, she announced her return to skiing in November 2024!

Lindsey Vonn's Early Life & Education

Lindsey Caroline Kildow was born in St. Paul, Minnesota. Her parents are Linda Anne and Alan Lee Kildow. She grew up in Burnsville, Minnesota. Lindsey started skiing at age two. She joined Erich Sailer's special ski program at Buck Hill. Her father, a former junior ski champion, pushed her hard.

When Lindsey was nine, she met Olympic gold medalist Picabo Street. Picabo became her hero and mentor. Picabo was amazed by Lindsey's natural talent for skiing fast. She said Lindsey loved skiing down the mountain quickly. Lindsey moved to Vail, Colorado in the late 1990s to train.

She studied online through the University of Missouri High School. Lindsey can speak German very well. She also attended a business program at Harvard Business School.

Lindsey Vonn's Skiing Career

Starting Her Ski Journey

Lindsey Kildow learned to ski from her grandfather, Don Kildow. She began skiing at Buck Hill in Minnesota. Her family also took long car trips to Vail, Colorado for ski vacations. Lindsey remembers sleeping in the back of the car during these trips.

Later, Lindsey and her family moved to Colorado. This allowed her to ski full-time at Ski Club Vail. At first, she missed normal childhood activities. But the move helped her become a top skier. In 1999, Lindsey won a big junior slalom event in Italy. She made her World Cup debut at age 16 in November 2000.

First Olympic & World Cup Success

In her first Olympics in 2002, Lindsey was 17. She finished sixth in the combined event. In 2003, she won a silver medal in downhill at the Junior World Championship. Lindsey changed her training after a bike ride with fellow skier Julia Mancuso. She realized she needed to train harder to succeed.

In January 2004, Lindsey got her first World Cup podium finish. She placed third in downhill in Italy. Her first World Cup win came in December 2004 in Canada. She earned five more podium finishes that season. In 2005, she competed in her first World Championships. She finished fourth in downhill and combined.

Olympic Spirit & World Championship Medals

At the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy, Lindsey crashed during training. She hurt her hip and was hospitalized. But she returned two days later to compete. She finished eighth in the downhill race. Her brave effort earned her the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award.

In 2007, Lindsey won her first major medals. She earned silver in downhill and super-G at the World Championships in Sweden. A training crash ended her season early. But she still finished third in downhill and super-G for the World Cup season.

Winning World Cup Titles (2008-2010)

Lindsey Vonn won her first overall World Cup title in 2008. She was the second American woman to do so. She also won the downhill World Cup title. This was her best ski season yet. She set a new American record with ten World Cup downhill wins.

In 2009, Lindsey won the overall World Cup again. She also won the downhill and super-G titles. She broke the American record for most World Cup victories. She won nine World Cup races that season. At the 2009 World Championships, she won her first two gold medals. She won in super-G and downhill.

In 2010, Lindsey continued her winning streak. She won three straight races in Austria. This made her second among American skiers for career World Cup wins. She won her third straight overall World Cup title. She also won the downhill, super-G, and combined titles. The Associated Press named her Female Athlete of the Year.

2010 Winter Olympics Performance

Lindsey Vonn at the 2010 Arthur Ashe Kids Day

From left to right: Tina Maze (silver), Andrea Fischbacher (gold), and Lindsey Vonn (bronze) with their super-G medals

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Lindsey planned to compete in all five events. She had a badly bruised shin, which caused her pain. But she still competed. On February 17, she won the gold medal in downhill. She was the first American woman to win Olympic downhill gold.

In the super combined event, she crashed during the slalom part. She said her shin was not the problem. In the super-G, she won a bronze medal. She later crashed in the giant slalom, breaking a finger. She also crashed in the slalom.

Close Call in 2011 World Cup

After three overall World Cup wins, Lindsey faced tough competition in 2011. Maria Höfl-Riesch of Germany was a strong rival. Lindsey had many podium finishes in speed races. But she struggled in slalom events. Maria Riesch took a big lead in the overall standings.

At the 2011 World Championships, Lindsey had a concussion. She still won a silver medal in downhill. Lindsey then started to catch up to Maria in the World Cup. She even took the overall lead briefly. But bad weather canceled the final races. Maria Riesch won the overall title by just three points.

Joining the All-Event Winners Club (2012)

Lindsey Vonn won her fourth overall World Cup title in 2012. The season started with her first giant slalom win. This made her the sixth woman to win races in all five alpine skiing events. She won all three races in Lake Louise, Canada, for the second time. She now holds the record for most wins at a single resort.

In December 2011, Lindsey won her first World Cup race on U.S. snow. This was a super-G event in Beaver Creek, Colorado. On February 4, 2012, she got her 50th World Cup victory. She also won her fifth straight downhill season title. Lindsey was disappointed to miss the record for 2,000 points in a season by 20 points.

Injuries and Comebacks (2013-2015)

Lindsey started the 2013 season slowly due to illness. But she quickly returned to form. She swept all three races in Lake Louise again. This was her third time winning all three races there. Her career total reached 56 wins, moving her to second all-time among women.

In February 2013, Lindsey crashed at the World Championships. She tore ligaments in her right knee and broke a bone. She said she would be ready for the 2014 Winter Olympics. Despite her injury, she won her sixth downhill season title. This was because thick fog canceled the final race.

Lindsey re-injured her knee in November 2013. She decided not to compete in the 2014 Winter Olympics. She needed surgery to fix her knee. She wanted to be ready for the World Championships in 2015.

In December 2014, Lindsey made a strong comeback. She won a World Cup downhill race in Lake Louise. In January 2015, she broke the record for most World Cup wins by a woman. At the 2015 World Championships, she won a bronze medal in super-G. She also won her seventh World Cup downhill title. This tied another record. She won her fifth super-G season title, tying another record. Lindsey reached 113 World Cup podiums, tying the women's record.

More Records and Challenges (2016-2018)

Lindsey Vonn in February 2016

Lindsey started the 2016 season by winning all three races in Lake Louise. This brought her to 70 career World Cup wins. She also broke the record for most super-G wins for any skier. In January, she tied the record for most downhill victories. Two weeks later, she broke that record with her 37th downhill win.

In November 2016, Lindsey fractured her right arm in a training crash. She had surgery to fix it. She returned to the World Cup in January 2017. In her second race back, she won a downhill event in Germany. This was her 77th win.

Before the 2018 Winter Olympics, Lindsey said she would represent the American people. She said she would not represent President Donald Trump. She felt Olympians represent their country, not its leaders.

Lindsey Vonn with her bronze medal at the 2018 Olympic downhill

At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Lindsey won a bronze medal in women's downhill. She dedicated her races to her grandfather, who had passed away. She even scattered some of his ashes near the men's downhill course. She said her family never gives up, and she was proud of her medal.

Retirement and Second Comeback (2019-2024)

In October 2018, Lindsey announced she would retire at the end of the season. She had hoped to break Ingemar Stenmark's record for World Cup wins. But her body couldn't handle the physical demands anymore. She wanted to be active when she was older. She injured her knee again in November 2018. This forced her to miss races.

She finally made her season debut in January 2019. After some tough races, she considered retiring right away. On February 1, she announced her retirement after the 2019 World Championships. On February 10, she won a bronze medal in downhill. She became the oldest woman to win a medal at a world championship. She also became the first female racer to win medals at six different world championships.

In January 2023, Lindsey became the first woman to ski the Streif course. She did this on her own, not in a race.

On November 14, 2024, Lindsey announced she was coming out of retirement! She had successful knee replacement surgery. She made her return to racing on December 7. She finished 24th in a downhill race. On December 21, she competed in a World Cup race in Switzerland. She finished 14th in the Super-G. She hopes to continue competing until the Olympic Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Other Appearances

Lindsey Vonn has appeared in Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition several times. She was featured in 2010, 2016 (with bodypaint), and 2019. In 2018, she was on the TV show Drop the Mic. She competed in a rap battle.

In 2019, HBO released a documentary about her called Lindsey Vonn: The Final Season. It showed her last World Championship season and her journey to fame. Lindsey also hosted a TV show called The Pack in 2020. It was a reality show about dogs. Her own dog, Lucy, was on the show with her.

Lindsey Vonn's Personal Life

Lindsey Vonn in April 2024

Lindsey Kildow married fellow Olympian Thomas Vonn in 2007. They divorced in 2013. Lindsey then dated golfer Tiger Woods from 2013 to 2015. Their relationship was often in the news. She later dated NFL coach Kenan Smith.

In 2018, she started dating NHL player P. K. Subban. They got engaged in 2019. Lindsey even proposed to P.K. in December 2019. They bought a house together in Beverly Hills. In December 2020, they announced their breakup. They said they remained friends. Since 2021, Lindsey has been dating Diego Osorio.

Lindsey has a unique hobby. In 2005, she won a cow named Olympe after a race. She decided to keep it! She gave it to a farmer in Austria. In 2009, she won a goat, which she also gave to a farmer. In 2014, she won a calf and kept it too. She now owns a small herd of cows on a farm.

Lindsey's mother, Linda Krohn, passed away in August 2022. She had been battling ALS for a year.

World Cup Results

Lindsey Vonn in March 2010 with 8 crystal globes, including 3 large ones for FIS World Cup overall titles and 5 smaller ones for various discipline titles

Season Titles

Lindsey Vonn has won 20 World Cup season titles:

• 4 overall titles
• 8 downhill titles
• 5 super-G titles
• 3 combined titles

Season Standings

Season
	Age	Overall	Slalom	Giant Slalom	Super-G	Downhill	Combined
2002	17	93	—	—	35	41	—
2003	18	118	—	—	—	47	—
2004	19	30	38	45	26	14	—
2005	20	6	28	35		5	5
2006	21	5	9	49	4
2007	22	6	37	—			7
2008	23		32	13	6
2009	24			8
2010	25		14	28
2011	26		19	12
2012	27		20
2013	28	8	—	20	4		—
2014	29	68	—	—	25	36	—
2015	30		—	29			—
2016	31		43	18			5
2017	32	19	—	—	12	4	—
2018	33	10	—	—	9		10
2019	34	83	—	—	—	32	—
2025	40	34	—	—	13	14	N/A

Standings through January 12, 2025

Race Victories

Lindsey Vonn has won 82 World Cup races:

• 43 Downhill wins
• 28 Super-G wins
• 4 Giant Slalom wins
• 2 Slalom wins
• 5 Combined wins

She has been on the podium 137 times.

Season
	Date	Location	Discipline
2005	December 3, 2004	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
2006 3 victories (2 DH, 1 SG)	December 3, 2005		Downhill
	December 17, 2005	Val-d'Isère, France	Downhill
	March 3, 2006	Hafjell, Norway	Super-G
2007 3 victories (2 DH, 1 SG)	December 2, 2006	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 20, 2006	Val-d'Isère, France	Downhill
	January 28, 2007	San Sicario, Italy	Super-G
2008 6 victories (5 DH, 1 SC)	December 1, 2007	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 21, 2007	St. Anton, Austria	Downhill
	December 22, 2007		Super combined
	January 19, 2008	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	February 9, 2008	Sestriere, Italy	Downhill
	March 8, 2008	Crans-Montana, Switzerland	Downhill
2009 9 victories (2 DH, 4 SG, 2 SL, 1 SC)	November 15, 2008	Levi, Finland	Slalom
	December 5, 2008	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	January 17, 2009	Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria	Super combined
	January 30, 2009	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Slalom
	February 1, 2009		Super-G
	February 22, 2009	Tarvisio, Italy	Super-G
	March 1, 2009	Bansko, Bulgaria	Super-G
	March 11, 2009	Åre, Sweden	Downhill
	March 12, 2009		Super-G
2010 11 victories (6 DH, 4 SG, 1 SC)	December 4, 2009	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 5, 2009		Downhill
	December 18, 2009	Val-d'Isère, France	Super combined
	January 8, 2010	Haus im Ennstal, Austria	Downhill
	January 9, 2010		Downhill
	January 10, 2010		Super-G
	January 22, 2010	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Super-G
	January 23, 2010		Downhill
	January 31, 2010	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Super-G
	March 6, 2010	Crans-Montana, Switzerland	Downhill
	March 12, 2010	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Super-G
2011 8 victories (3 DH, 4 SG, 1 SC)	December 5, 2010	Lake Louise, Canada	Super-G
	December 18, 2010	Val-d'Isère, France	Downhill
	December 19, 2010		Super combined
	January 8, 2011	Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria	Downhill
	January 21, 2011	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Super-G
	January 23, 2011		Super-G
	February 26, 2011	Åre, Sweden	Downhill
	March 6, 2011	Tarvisio, Italy	Super-G
2012 12 victories (5 DH, 4 SG, 2 GS, 1 SC)	October 22, 2011	Sölden, Austria	Giant slalom
	December 2, 2011	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 3, 2011		Downhill
	December 4, 2011		Super-G
	December 7, 2011	Beaver Creek, USA	Super-G
	January 15, 2012	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Super-G
	January 27, 2012	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Super combined
	January 28, 2012		Downhill
	February 4, 2012	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Downhill
	February 26, 2012	Bansko, Bulgaria	Super-G
	March 9, 2012	Åre, Sweden	Giant slalom
	March 14, 2012	Schladming, Austria	Downhill
2013 6 victories (3 DH, 2 SG, 1 GS)	November 30, 2012	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 1, 2012		Downhill
	December 2, 2012		Super-G
	December 8, 2012	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Super-G
	January 19, 2013	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	January 26, 2013	Maribor, Slovenia	Giant slalom
2015 8 victories (4 DH, 4 SG)	December 6, 2014	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 20, 2014	Val-d'Isère, France	Downhill
	January 18, 2015	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	January 19, 2015		Super-G
	January 25, 2015	St. Moritz, Switzerland	Super-G
	March 8, 2015	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Super-G
	March 18, 2015	Méribel, France	Downhill
	March 19, 2015		Super-G
2016 9 victories (5 DH, 3 SG, 1 GS)	December 4, 2015	Lake Louise, Canada	Downhill
	December 5, 2015		Downhill
	December 6, 2015		Super-G
	December 12, 2015	Åre, Sweden	Giant slalom
	January 9, 2016	Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria	Downhill
	January 10, 2016		Super-G
	January 23, 2016	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	January 24, 2016		Super-G
	February 6, 2016	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Downhill
2017	January 21, 2017		Downhill
2018 5 victories (4 DH, 1 SG)	December 16, 2017	Val-d'Isère, France	Super-G
	January 20, 2018	Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy	Downhill
	February 3, 2018	Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany	Downhill
	February 4, 2018		Downhill
	March 14, 2018	Åre, Sweden	Downhill

World Championship Results

Olympic Results

Images for kids

• 

  Lindsey Kildow during a slalom race in Aspen in November 2006

• 

  Lindsey Vonn in March 2008

• 

  Lindsey Vonn before the downhill race in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in January 2017

See also

In Spanish: Lindsey Vonn para niños