Profiles in Time: Skier Lindsey Vonn

The Winter Olympics 2018

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are kicking off in Pyeongchang, South Korea. So, we can’t help but wonder what some of the top athletes in the world are wearing on their wrists when they’re not competing for the gold. Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn is no stranger to the Olympic Games or bringing home gold medals. Competitive skiing is in her blood, but in addition to her passion for the slopes, Vonn shares our passion for a stunning timepiece.

Skier Lindsey Vonn: The Early Years

Vonn started skiing as a toddler. Her father, Alan Kildrow, was also a competitive skier. He quickly recognized her natural talent and affection for the sport. At the age of seven, Vonn’s father started coaching her. Just two years later, she was competing internationally.

Vonn’s family want to give her the best chance to develop her talent. So, they moved from her hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota to Vail, Colorado. Shortly after, she made history at the 1999 Trofeo Topolino competition in Italy. At fourteen, skier Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win the slalom event.

Just a few years later, Vonn’s Olympic career began at the age of seventeen. She was selected for the U.S. Ski team at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah but didn’t make the podium. She competed in her next Olympic Games in 2006 in Torino, Italy. During a practice run, she had an accident that landed her in the hospital. She was still able to compete in the games. But again, she failed to take home a medal.

Olympic Victory

The setbacks at the 2006 Olympics didn’t deter Vonn. She was still hungry for victory. The following year, she took home two silver medals at the World Championship games in Sweden. From that moment forward, Vonn was on a winning streak. In 2008, she scored a downhill championship victory at the World Cup. A year later, she took home two gold medals at the World Championships and won the downhill and Super G events at the World Cup.

Vonn returned to the Olympics in 2010. In Vancouver, Canada she finally fulfilled her lifelong dream of making the podium. She brought home a gold and a bronze medal for team USA. That same year, she also scored big when she became a Rolex ambassador.

For the next few years, Vonn continued to dominate the sport until she incurred a crippling injury in 2013. At the World Championships in Austria, she tore her ACL and MCL and fractured her lateral tibial plateau. After reconstructive surgery and physical therapy, Vonn began training again just six months later. However, her injuries continued to flare up, and she was unable to participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics.

The Watch

After her surgeries, Vonn had a special, faithful companion by her side as she made her return to the sport: a yellow gold Rolex Oyster Perpetual Day-Date 40 with diamond and ruby accents. The watch serves as a reminder of the physical challenges she’s overcome and to never give up.

This year, Vonn is back for redemption at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She’s just come off two wins at the World Cup in Germany—the 80^th World Cup win of her career—and she’s not stopping there. She’s got her sights on the gold once again.

 

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