Lindsey Vonn has a grander goal than winning gold in the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. If only this one were in her control.
Vonn opened up about her wish to cross gender barriers through her sport before she retires in a “60 Minutes Sports” segment that aired Tuesday night.
“I mean, I beat half of [the male competitors] when I train with them; they don’t want to be embarrassed,” the four-time World Cup champion said in the extensive interview. “I’m not going to beat all of them, I can assure you that, but I at least want a chance to see what my skiing is capable of against the best.”
Vonn, already the most decorated American female skier ever, previously had said she wants to dedicate the year after the Olympics to seeing what she can accomplish against her male counterparts.
“The goal is definitely to make it to the next Olympics in South Korea in 2018, so that’s two more seasons,” Vonn said on ESPN Radio in June, “but I’m really hoping for three seasons, and I’ll tell you why. It’s because, in my final season, I would like to race against the men in one race.”
Unless Vonn can convince the International Ski Federation, however, she’ll have to limit her gender neutral races to training. Skiing’s governing body stated “that one gender is not entitled to participate in races of the other” when Vonn made her initial request in 2012.
In the meantime, Vonn can continue showcasing the strength and resiliency that vaulted her into stardom on the women’s side.
The 32-year-old’s latest feat? Conquering the pull-up bar two weeks after breaking her right arm during training in November, adding yet another injury to her record — but, clearly, not one she can’t overcome.