Laureus winner Vonn retired, but will still ski on
Her body may be broken, but Lindsey Vonn’s spirit is still strong and after an emotional night picking up the Laureus Spirit of Sport Award on Monday, she looked forward to a new beginning after competition.
When she was announced as the winner of the Spirit of Sport Award for her successful career and strength to come back from numerous set-backs, the room rose as one to salute her.
“I promised myself after I made my retirement announcement that I wouldn’t cry anymore, but when everyone stood up to give me an ovation, it was completely overwhelming,” she admitted.
She admitted that the ‘shock absorption’ in her knees was a key reason for her retirement, but said it wouldn’t stop her heading back to the slopes in the future.
“I think I’ll still enjoy skiing. For me, that’s one of the reasons I retired because I do want to ski with my kids some day and that’s something very important to me,” she said. “Hopefully by stopping now, I’ll still have that opportunity.”
Vonn also admitted she expected team-mate Mikaela Shiffrin to overtake her records within the next two years.
“Mikaela is on a pretty incredible pace. I think that’s the great thing about records is that you push other people to strive to new levels and to achieve greater things.”
She continued, “I’m really happy for Mikaela that she’s been able to have so much success at such a young age. It’s great for America and for our sport and I hope she continues.”
