Time to hit the podium! Lindsey Vonn gave everything she had as she competed in the women’s alpine downhill final at the Winter Olympics — earning her a medal for the first time in eight years.
Vonn, 33, broke down in tears as she won a bronze medal following the race. “It’s so rewarding. Of course I would have liked a gold medal, but this is amazing and I am so proud,” she told NBC. “I gave it my best shot. I worked my butt off.”
Vonn dedicated her performance to her grandfather Don Kildow, who died in November at the age of 88. After the event, she said that she hopes she made him proud.
.@lindseyvonn wins a bronze medal in what she says will be her final Olympic downhill run. #WinterOlympics #BestOfUS pic.twitter.com/pXPj4SajjC
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 21, 2018
Sofia Goggia of Italy ultimately took home the win with 1:39:22, while Norway’s Ragnhild Mowinckel scored a 1:39:31. Vonn placed third with 1:39:69.
Regardless, this is a big comeback for Vonn. The athlete was previously injured during a training run at the 2006 Olympics and had to be airlifted to the hospital. She also suffered a handful of knee injuries in 2012 and 2013 and didn’t compete at the Sochi Games four years ago.
“It’s been a fun ride,” she told NBC in PyeongChang, South Korea. “It’s sad. This is my last downhill. I wish I could keep going. I have so much fun, I love what I do, but my body probably can’t take another four years.”
