As we head into the Val D’Isere speed races for the women, Lindsey Vonn is fresh off the back of a double podium weekend in St. Moritz, not only becoming the oldest skier in history to win a World Cup race but also taking the lead in the women’s Downhill standings – close a decade since she last led (and consequently won) the small globe in that discipline.
What Vonn is doing is remarkable not just for ski racing but for any sport, period. To be competitive and at the top of your game, in a sport as demanding as Downhill ski racing, into your forties, is simply remarkable and of course testament to her work ethic & the efforts of the team around her but also to that of medical science and sport science. The addition to her team of another speed legend (Aksel Lund Svindal), has been reported as being an advantage to Vonn, as has her long-standing relationship with ski brand Head but, no matter what the contributions, at the end of the day, someone still has to be the ‘pilot’ and make the skiing decisions in real-time during competition, so be in no doubt that, Lindsey Vonn is the one making all of this happen.
Meanwhile on our own doorstep, and perhaps even more excitingly given the context of Vonn’s achievements mentioned, GBR’s Freddy Carrick-Smith has just won the his first European Cup race aged just 18. That’s a solid 23 years younger than where Vonn currently sits & shows the longevity that can be possible, even in this sport, with the right training, care & support. Huge congratulations to Freddy & the team around him for what is a seriously impressive result and a statement of intent given to the rest of the EC GS tour.
With the Olympics just around the corner and, 2026 teasing the comeback of another great in the form of Marcel Hirscher, ski racing is in an incredibly exciting place right now! Could Vonn complete the fairytale comeback with another Olympic medal to add to her name? I wouldn’t put it past her!
