It’s been a little more than five years since Lindsey Vonn won a world championship downhill bronze in Are, Sweden, in her last professional race. When the 40-year-old took to the Birds of Prey course Wednesday as a forerunner on the first day of downhill training, everything felt right in her world.
“It was really fun. It felt so normal to be standing in the start gate,” she told assembled media members in Red Tail Stadium before admitting there were a few hiccups on the way down.
“Definitely the first run on any new downhill, it’s a little awkward,” she said. “Some turns I skied well, some turns I was a little bit conservative, but it felt really good. I had such a good time inspecting with my teammates and kind of getting back into the rhythm. Everything felt as it should.”
Last weekend, Vonn earned the necessary FIS points to return to World Cup racing under the International Ski Federation’s new wildcard rule by competing in a pair of super-G and downhill FIS-level races at Copper Mountain. She hasn’t announced her return to World Cup racing yet but plans to forerun throughout the Birds of Prey weekend.
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