Lindsey Vonn is retiring

Lindsey Vonn has only two races remaining on her aching knees.

The women's all-time leader in World Cup wins announced Friday that she will retire from ski racing after this month's world championships in Sweden.

The 34-year-old Vonn had been planning to retire in December but changed her plans because of persistent pain in both of her knees, which she fully realized after failing to finish a race in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, last month

"It's been an emotional 2 weeks making the hardest decision of my life, but I have accepted that I cannot continue ski racing," Vonn wrote on Instagram . "I will compete at the World Championships in Downhill and SG (super-G) next week in Are, Sweden and they will be the final races of my career."

The worlds open with the women's super-G on Tuesday in the Swedish resort of Are. The women's downhill is scheduled for Feb. 10.

"You have consistently raised the bar, you have created a legacy that will live forever, and you have given us all some of the greatest memories in our sport," Tiger Shaw, the president and CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard, wrote on Twitter.

Vonn's right knee is permanently damaged from previous crashes. The American has also torn ACLs, suffered fractures near her left knee, broken her ankle, sliced her right thumb, had a concussion and more. She's limited now to about three runs per day, and her aching body can't handle the workload of other skiers.

"My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of," Vonn said. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen."

However, with 82 World Cup wins, Vonn will not be able to match the overall record of 86 held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.

"Honestly, retiring isn't what upsets me. Retiring without reaching my goal is what will stay with me forever," Vonn said. "However, I can look back at 82 World Cup wins, 20 World Cup titles, 3 Olympic medals, 7 World Championship medals and say that I have accomplished something that no other woman in HISTORY has ever done, and that is something that I will be proud of FOREVER!"

In her announcement, Vonn also made public for the first time that she had yet another surgery on her right knee following last season.

"A large portion of cartilage that had delaminated from my bone was removed," Vonn said, without specifying which bone. "My crash in Lake Louise last year was much more painful than I let on, but I continued to race because I wanted to win a medal in the Olympics for my late grandfather."

Vonn achieved that goal by winning a bronze medal in downhill at last year's Pyeongchang Games.

But then she crashed again during training in Copper Mountain, Colorado, in November, and tore the lateral collateral ligament and sustained three fractures in her left knee.

"Despite extensive therapy, training and a knee brace, I am not able make the turns necessary to compete the way I know I can," Vonn said.

she's an amazing skiier, retired or not, and has earned my (along with probably every skiier out there - and most non-skiiers too) deepest level of  respect.

i like my original post  better, meant the same thing:

she's a badass. retired or not.  deep respect. 

Huge respect for Vonn. Enjoy the retirement. 

    Lindsey Vonn Wins Her 78th World Cup - Val d' Isere Super G - 2 

    https://youtu.be/EPQSNnYBbKY

       edit:  Super G

     Namaste...Lindsey excelled in her sport, her athleticism pushed the envelope of Super G, she was, and is, a patriot!

Sad to see her not get her goal as having the most World Cup wins of any skier, male or female, but when your body says no more, one needs to listen. She has been a warrior, so you can't fault her for not digging deep. With the injuries she has had, it's amazing that she can walk, must less ski at all<<<<

It is sad, but it's also something she might be able to make an adjustment in terms of her expectations pertaining to the overall sport in general; at least in so far finding joy in possibly still being able to ski recreationally to some extent.

Just re-watched MJ's Hall of Fame speech recently and was thinking about how most professional athletes have the rug ripped out from underneath them upon retirement vs. having a chance to slowly let go and even "grieve" during the process.  At 49 yo, I know I'm unable to put in the same number of days & overall time on the mountain as when I was 25 ... my back and body just can't take it any more.  However, I do pick and choose my battles in terms of only going up when the conditions are more forgiving & only really letting loose under optimal conditions and my body is feeling good.   So, in a certain sense, I'm often still "there" as I was when I was 25 ... it's just that those moments are much further and farther between. 

Ultimately skiing / snowboarding is a "love of the game" (to hijack MJ's contractual clause) sort of activity ... and I have no doubt that even the most ardent of racers still maintain this core belief deep down; even in spite of the competitive nature of their professional endeavors.    It's not as if she has to make a "cut" to be on a team in order get on any lift and get in a few runs to simply have fun (if it's still possible for her to even simply take it easy on skiis).   Yes, MJ can and probably still does play in pickup games, but I think there's something different about skiing / snowboarding in terms of its ability to elevate the spirit on a much more grand scale by just being out and about on a mountain.

     It's amazing that we were born at the right moment in the timeline of humanity to surf the plane earth...have you done any backcountry snowboarding with the avalanche beacon, probe & shovel?  It's about the most beautiful thing humans have experienced thus far.

     edit: planet

     If any of you have some extra coin laying about and want a once in a lifetime powder experience, I would recommend Revelstoke BC, which is a 5 hour drive from the Idaho border, the Columbia Valley is a special place.

     http://powdersprings.ca/     

     Revelstoke Mountain Resort Snowboarding March 2018

     https://youtu.be/K_pSQnnKs6I

     https://youtu.be/_MI5xK8PWe0