Lindsey Vonn Makes History as Oldest Woman to Land on Alpine World Cup Podium

The 40-year-old skiing legend continues to break barriers with her latest record-setting finish in Idaho.

Lindsey Vonn / Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Lindsey Vonn is no stranger to making history, and this weekend, she did it again. The three-time Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model claimed second place in the World Cup super-G race at Sun Valley, Idaho on Sunday, becoming the oldest woman to ever land an alpine World Cup podium finish at age 40.

“It’s the last race of the season. I just put it all on the line,” the professional athlete told NBC after her incredible feat. “This is the level that I know I can ski. I know I can even do better than that. It’s been a rough season of people saying that I can’t, that I’m too old, that I’m not good enough anymore. I think I proved everyone wrong.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by L I N D S E Y • V O N N (@lindseyvonn)

Vonn blazed down the course with a time of 1:13.64, landing just 1.29 seconds behind Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami, who took the top spot and secured the season title. In a close finish, she finished just 0.04 seconds ahead of Italy’s Federica Brignone.

The Minnesota-born, Colorado native’s victory marks her first podium appearance since 2018, when she placed third in the super-G in Are, Sweden. Breaking barriers is nothing new for the skiing legend—Vonn is the most decorated female skier in World Cup history, having famously conquered the treacherous Kitzbühel Streif course in 2022 as the first woman ever to do so, and making history again in 2023 as the first person to complete it at night.

The Olympic gold medalist shared her emotional thoughts in an Instagram post shortly after the race.

“DID IT!!!! 🥈P2‼️ After everything I’ve been through, I fought my way back on to the podium!!” she wrote. “I can’t even start to describe what this means to me... I have been overwhelmed with emotion and support from so many people. I want to say thank you to everyone who believed in me! Going to enjoy this moment and reflect. More soon!”

Lindsey Vonn competes in the women's Super-G during the STIFEL FIS World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. / Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

Vonn's comeback has been marked by resilience. Earlier this year, she said she felt “healthier now than I was for the last few years,” after battling a series of injuries that initially led her to retire in 2019. Her remarkable perseverance and record-setting performance cement her as a true icon in the skiing world, showing once again that age is just a number when it comes to chasing greatness.

“Lindsey thank for always pushing the boundaries of the sport! You inspire us so much! We are so happy to be witnessing all your amazing achivements! I m so happy for you, you desereved this and so much more 👏👏 VONNder woman!! ❤️❤️❤️,” one fan gushed in the comments.