Former US Ski Team member and World Cup alpine ski racer Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics when she did it in the downhill in 2010. She won four World Cup overall championships, which places her second only to Annemarie Moser-Pröll among female skiers. She had three victories in a row in 2008, 2009, and 2010, and another in 2012. Vonn also won a record eight World Cup season titles in the downhill discipline, five in the super-G discipline, and three in a row in the combined discipline (2010–2012). Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden, who won 19 crystal globes from 1975 to 1984, was surpassed by Vonn in 2016 when she won her 20th World Cup crystal globe title. In terms of super rankings, she is the third best skier overall, male or female.
In addition to winning 82 World Cup events over her career, Vonn is one of just six women to have triumphed in competitions in each of the five alpine skiing disciplines: downhill, super-G, giant slalom, slalom, and super combined. She held the female record for the most World Cup victories with 82 until Mikaela Shiffrin surpassed it in January 2023. With 86 World Cup triumphs, only Shiffrin and Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden have more titles than Vonn. Vonn is one of the most successful American ski racers and is regarded as one of the greatest skiers ever thanks to her Olympic gold and bronze medals, two World Championship gold medals in 2009, and four overall World Cup crowns.
The United States Olympic Committee named Vonn its sportswoman of the year in 2010, and she also got the Laureus Sportswoman of the Year award. She announced her retirement in 2019 and listed her injuries as the reason.
