Lindsey Vonn Sizzled on The Sand in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

The three-time SI Swimsuit model is a history-making Olympic alpine skier.

Ananya Panchal | Apr 22, 2024

Lindsey Vonn was photographed by Walter Chin in Puerto Vallarta. / Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

SI Swimsuit model Lindsey Vonn made history last year, when she became the first woman to ski the legendary Streif in Kitzbühel, Austria, and the first person to ever complete the course at night. The 82-time World Cup race winner made her SI Swimsuit debut in 2010 when she traveled to Whistler, Canada, with photographer Warwick Saint. The Olympic alpine skier, who is a three-time medalist, returned for a super bold and unique body painting feature in 2016 in Petit St. Vincent, where she was captured by Frederic Pinet and worked with talented artist Joanne Gair.

The 39-year-old athlete returned for her most recent feautre in 2019, when she posed for Walter Chin on the breathtaking beaches of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. She retired from the sport that same year—though she still often recreationally hits the slopes and wows with her skills today.

“I was actually pretty nervous for my first SI Swimsuit Issue. I wasn’t entirely confident with how I looked at the time. I think being featured in the magazine made me look at myself in a different, more positive light,” Vonn recalled. “In some ways, it boosted my confidence and made me feel that having a strong and athletic body was not just OK but something to be proud of and celebrated. Each issue I was in, I was more and more confident, and it’s amazing to see that transformation in the pictures and in myself.”

Below are six marvelous photos from the Minnesota-born, Colorado native’s 2019 SI Swim shoot in Puerto Vallarta.

Walter Chin/Sports Illustrated

Published Apr 22, 2024

ANANYA PANCHAL

Ananya Panchal is a writer on the Lifestyle and Trending News team for SI Swimsuit, where she covers fashion, beauty, pop culture and the internet’s favorite personalities and trends. She joined the brand in 2022 after roles at Bustle, the San Francisco Chronicle and the TODAY Show. Panchal loves to write about fashion in all its forms—from standout runway moments and evolving street style to the best accessories to elevate each season’s wardrobe (she rarely goes anywhere without a stack of jewelry and a coffee in hand). A self-proclaimed beauty fanatic, she’s always on the hunt for must-have products and loves breaking down viral trends. Her favorite series at the moment is spotlighting female founders and the stories behind the brands they’ve built—especially those shaping the future of fashion, wellness and tech. She is based between New York City and San Francisco and, when she’s not writing, can be found rewatching One Tree Hill, playing sudoku, trying new restaurants or ranking her favorite Disney Channel Original Movies. She holds a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism with a minor in criminal justice from Boston University.