For Lindsey Vonn, third overall World Cup title is sweeter than Olympic gold
(Read article summary)This weekend, Lindsey Vonn captured the overall World Cup title for the third year in a row, a feat unmatched by any woman in nearly two decades.
Boston
Less than a month after winning two Olympic medals, Lindsey Vonn this weekend captured an arguably more prestigious honor that makes her not only the most successful woman in US alpine skiing but one of the best ever. Period.
At the World Cup finals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, this weekend, Vonn wrapped up not only the overall World Cup title – awarded to the athlete with the most cumulative points in races from October to March. She also won the World Cup downhill, super-G, and combined titles, sweeping three of the five disciplines.
While Germany’s Maria Riesch skied well all season, including beating Vonn last week in the final downhill race of the season, it wasn't enough to unseat her American friend and toughest rival.
"The overall title is one of the biggest things you can win in our sport," said Vonn, coming off Olympic gold in Whistler, British Columbia. "I always try to give my best every day, but it's a long season."
This is Vonn's third straight overall title, a feat unmatched since Austria's Petra Kronberger won her trio from 1990-92. Vonn's 11 World Cup wins this season make her second only to Austria's Annemarie Moser-Proell, who won 14 in 1988-89 and 62 in her career. While Vonn is only at 33 so far, that's a new US record, beating out five-time Olympic medalist Bode Miller of Franconia, N.H.
