All language subtitles for Lindsey.Vonn.The.Final.Season.2019.720p.AMZN.WEB-DL.DDP2.0.H.264-NTG

-(CROWD CHEERING)
-♪ (DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS) ♪

(WHISTLE BLOWS)

And then, he says,
"By the way, Dad,

how many headsets did you break
this year?"

(BOTH LAUGH)

NICK SABAN:
We go back a long ways,

and we had experiences
that we both kinda learned from.

In retrospect, it might've been
better for us had we lost one

somewhere along the way.

SABAN: But when you get to
the top of the mountain,

you become the mountain.

♪ (MUSIC CONCLUDES) ♪

(theme music playing)

Announcer:
The following is
a presentation of HBO Sports.

(wind blowing)

Lindsey Vonn:
It's been a really long road.

This part of my life is
now going to be over.

(cheering, whistling)

It's hard to really...

describe the emotions
that I've been feeling

the last few weeks
since making the decision.

(cheering, whistling)

Commentator 1:
The American, Lindsey Vonn...

Commentator 2:
Began her skiing
career in Minnesota...

Commentator 3:
She always comes back firing...

Commentator 4:
That is how dominant
she has been...

Commentator 5:
Greatest American
skier of all time...

Commentator 6:
Perfect line.
Vonn keeping it close,

Soutter watching on...

-And she's got it!
-(cheering)

Commentator 7:
Can't be surprised,

and the fans, they got
what they came for.

Lindsey:
I know that I should
be happy, and...

I am happy,
you know, I really...

I am, but a part of me
is still disappointed.

My body has finally failed me.

Commentator 1:
Lindsey Vonn just
moments away from

loading into the gate.

Commentator 2:
And this is a woman
that has brought

power and fearlessness to sport

in a way that few
other athletes ever have.

Lindsey:
I hope that I can end up
on top for my last race.

That's how I've always
wanted it to go.

Heinz Haemmerle:
Kick ass, baby.
Get this last one. Game on!

Lindsey:
But this season
definitely hasn't been

at all what I had expected.

(sobbing)

It's really scary
to think about

not having something
that I love so much.

Lindsay Winninger:
You gotta get fired up to go.

Haemmerle:
Show them what's
gonna happen, baby!

You're still here! Game on!

Commentator:
A career that has spanned
more than 18 years,

over 14 Olympic starts,
25 World Championship starts,

393 World Cup starts.

This is the 432nd,
and final time,

Lindsey Vonn will load
into a start gate.

Lindsey:
It's just really
hard to accept,

but I do know that it's over.

-Haemmerle:
Come on, Lindsey, game on!
-Winninger: Come on, let's go!

(crowd cheering)

(footsteps crunching snow)

-Lindsey: Hey, Heinz.
-Haemmerle: Good morning.

(chattering)

Narrator:
Lindsey Vonn is the most
successful female racer

in the history
of Alpine skiing.

She's won dozens of medals,
set a multitude of records,

and now has returned
to the racing circuit

for one final season,

chasing one final
piece of history:

the record for most
World Cup victories

by any skier ever.

With 82 wins in her career,

she's currently five short
of the all-time mark.

But with training for
the upcoming season beginning,

there are signs that navigating
the final steps to history

will be arduous.

Lindsey:
It's like it hurts a lot,
but I'm just stiff.

-I'll try to do one run
and we'll see how it goes.
-Winninger: All right.

Narrator:
Lindsey Vonn and pain--

they've become intimately
acquainted over the years.

Still, she's persevered
through any and all adversity

for the chance to relish

the sensation
of top speed once more.

Coach 1 (over radio):
Yeah, ladies up top.

You have some shadows
crossing the track,

so just be aware
that with the visibility,

it's harder to see some
of that terrain in there,

but no problem.

Coach 2 (over radio):
Okay, course is
clear for Lindsey.

Winninger:
Let's go, Linds, come on.

(heart thumping)

Lindsey:
My favorite part about downhill
and about skiing in general

is the adrenaline.

If you're driving
on the highway,

stick your head
out the window.

That's the speed
we feel on our face

when we're going down
an icy slope at,

you know, 80 miles an hour.

Commentator 1:
Off she goes, Lindsey Vonn.

Commentator 2:
Look at her. I mean-- uh!--
just the aggressiveness,

like the conviction
of the way she skis.

She makes it happen, period.

Commentator 3:
You almost don't hear her,

and she is building speed--
a freight train.

Commentator 1:
And look at that!
She's moved into the lead

by nine-one-hundreths now!

Highest speed
we've seen so far.

You gotta wonder, Doug,
is she feeling the nerves.

Oh man, she is
in fifth gear right now.

She is crushing it!

Look at her, holding the top
where no one else did.

Vonn wants it so bad.

I think it's gonna be--
And Vonn! Yes!

Lindsey Vonn has done it!
Look at that!

-(cheering)
-A superhero today!

What an effort! What a day!

Lindsey:
The adrenaline, I just can't
find it in anything else.

It's like a superhero drug.

You just want more.
Give me more.

♪ Gonna teach just how
to blow your mind... ♪

Commentator 1:
Oh, that's beautiful.

The best rush out there
you can imagine.

It's a super free feeling

of having control
over something

that seems like it
shouldn't be controlled.

♪ No other way ♪

Lindsey:
It doesn't matter
what you look like.

It just matters how fast you
get from the top to the bottom.

Commentator: Whoa!
she got her tips up there!

Lindsey:
When I am really
on the limit...

Commentator: Oh boy!
Almost lost it right there,

but what an amazing recovery!

Lindsey:
Those are my fastest
runs, although,

very difficult to replicate.
(laughs)

-Commentator 1: Oh! What?
-Commentator 2: Down goes Vonn!

Oh, and directly
into the B net.

Street:
There's a lot of
unpredictability.

Alex Hoedlmoser:
If you're a basketball player,
you go to a court,

and the court is
always the same.

In downhill
racing, it's
always different.

Street:
The snow conditions
are changing,

the visibility is changing,
the light's going in and out

from dark to light.

Bode Miller:
You're dealing with
four or five Gs in turns--

the wrong thing
happening at
the wrong time,

and your body
comes apart.

Commentator:
Oh! In trouble,
and Vonn is down!

Vonn had it all together...

Lindsey:
I'm gonna always crash.

That's just a part of the job.
You're gonna crash,

but it's worth it
'cause I love what I do.

Commentator 1:
Well, she's changed downhill
skiing for the entire field.

Commentator 2:
Lindsey Vonn to the--
She got it!

Lindsey Vonn somehow
finds 66/100ths of a second!

♪ Now and forever,
oh, oh... ♪

Alan Kildow:
Get close, get close,
get close, get close!

February 26, 1994.

This is Lindsey at Buck Hill.

Lindsey's on course.

Narrator:
It all began for
Lindsey Vonn on Buck Hill,

a tiny ski area in Minnesota

where she went just about
as often as possible

with her father, Alan,
a former ski racer,

who saw in his oldest daughter
a chance to live out the dreams

that had been taken
away from him.

Alan:
Not a great run.

Now finishing the turn
on the downhill ski.

Alan:
I started ski racing at 10.

At 17, became
junior national champion.

I was eventually three-time
national junior champion.

I skied in World Cups.

Hurt my knee, and that
was the end of my career.

Lindsey:
My dad loved ski racing.

He's always loved racing.

He definitely put
a lot of that passion

into me in helping me
achieve my dreams.

Alan:
There's little Lindsey,
the first in line, as usual.

Karin Kildow:
Skiing has been a huge
part of our family.

It was never a question
of if you wanted to ski,

or when you wanted to ski.
You just had to do it.

Reed Kildow:
It was usually just
Lindsey leading the pack

with all the kids
falling behind.

More than she even
likes skiing,

she likes to win.

And she's a competitor
at everything.

Lindsey:
Look at this cliff! Is this not
some extreme skiing? Look at it.

You gonna do it, Reed?

Lindy Lund:
All five of them
had the same chance,

but only Lindsey
wanted to do it.

She skied all the time.

She started racing,
I think, at eight.

She didn't think
anything of it.
She loved it.

-Alan: Here comes Lindsey.
-Coach: She's got that
aggressive Kildow style.

Alan:
Yeah, get back in there.

Lindsey:
Buck Hill was so small,
we really only could train.

That was really the only
fun thing to do.

That's what made me
love training.

(man yodeling)

(yodeling)

Well, this is where
Lindsey grew up, you know?

This is where she learnt it.

From here!

Erich Sailer was
my father's coach.

He was from Austria,
then he moved

to Minnesota and created
his own program at Buck Hill.

Narrator:
You'll find any measure of
the unusual at Buck Hill.

Ample night skiing
at the tiny mountain

rising just 262 feet, for one.

And also the legendary
coach who runs the place,

and is known far and wide

for turning children
into champions.

Boy:
I just came to Buck yesterday.
I'm from Park City.

-You are from Park City,
you moved here?
-Yeah.

-And you want
to get good here?
-Yeah.

Sailer:
Well, I was
a ski racer myself,

so I had the background
for teaching the basics.

Half the ski, not pushing
them out to make sliding,

-Yeah.
-...and you hold it
on the edge.

That would be
the right thing to do.

Alan:
Erich is the consummate
ski technician.

He drills the technique
into the kids.

There's a small hill.

You go up and down
it on a rope tow,

and you repeat,
repeat, repeat, repeat.

Lindsey:
And you think it's
unassuming. You're like,

"Oh, you just
hold onto a rope,"

but it'll break your neck
if you're not ready for it.

You can do a lap
in under two minutes.

Sailer:
Go, go, go! Yes, go!

Lindsey: That's why
Erich's had so many kids

come out of his program
go to the Olympics.

He's had six Olympic
athletes from Buck Hill.

Sailer:
Lindsey, there were no signs
that she was gonna be a big,

fantastic ski racer.

Everything she do was very easy,

and went to have
a little chocolate,

and I called her,
actually, the Turtle

because she was so slow.

(in Austrian accent):
"Poor Alan. He has
a turtle for a daughter."

Alan:
Here comes Lindsey now.
She's really-- Erich's right.

She's really slowing down.

Sailer:
But she wanted to be fast.
She wanted to do it.

She was here every night.

Always the first on the lift
and the last one to go home.

Man:
You got a skier there, Alan.

-(indistinct chatter)
-Alan: Yeah.

Lindsey:
My dad was a tough coach,

but also always someone that

I've relied on for
guidance and advice.

(Lindsey speaks)

-Kildow (laugh):
Don't use that word.
-All right.

Lindsey: When I was nine,
I told my dad that
I wanted to be

in the Olympics,
and he helped me
make a plan,

and he told me if I wanted
to be in the Olympics,

I had to win this level
and at this level,

and he kind of walked
me through the process.

Third place, Lindsey
Kildow from Central.

(cheering)

Alan:
When you've got a child
that's got that kind of

drive and ability,

and there's something
that's just innate there,

what you have to do is,

in a certain way,
get out of the way,

but in a certain way,
you've gotta involve yourself

to give them the opportunity.

When Lindsey showed talent

for speed skiing,
we came to Vail.

Because I had left
Wisconsin and come to Vail

when I was 16 years old,

and so this was
the natural place to go.

I honestly didn't even know
that that was our plan.

It kind of started slowly where
Lindsey would always have to go

to camps in Colorado.

And so, my mom
and Lindsey would go

for a couple weeks
and come back.

The couple weeks turned
into a couple months,

and then Dad was like, okay,
we're all gonna go to Vail

to visit Mom and Lindsey
while she's racing.

We got there,
and Dad was like,

well, actually,
you're gonna stay here.

Alan:
It just made more sense
for us all to be together,

as a family.

And I, of course,
love Vail, so...

Lindsey:
It was a shock, I think,
to my brothers and sisters,

and a very tough
transition for them.

We moved into like
a three-bedroom condo,

but we were with seven people
in a three-bedroom condo.

Dad was still working
as a lawyer in Minnesota

to have enough money to sustain
our skiing, the condo,

and my mom was kind of like
holding down the fort in Vail.

I remember them
fighting all the time.

Money was always tight.

My mom was taking
care of five kids.

I helped out
as much as I could.

It definitely put
a strain on everybody.

Lund:
I think she realized
at a young age that

we were changing
our lives for her.

Alan: Hooked around.
Hang in there, sweetheart.

That ain't half bad.

Lund:
So, that's a lot of pressure.

I wouldn't want to be
under that pressure.

Narrator:
Lindsey would flourish
under that pressure,

making the US Ski Team
when she was just 16,

and moving to Park City,
Utah, to train full-time.

Her parents' marriage,
meanwhile, had fallen apart.

During my parents' divorce,

things were just hard
for all of us.

Um, you know,
my family had moved back
to Minnesota at that point,

and I was out in Utah,

so I just kind of grew apart
from my whole family.

I was young, I didn't know
how to handle it,

and the only rock
in my life was skiing.

(crowd cheering)

(announcer
speaking indistinctly)

Narrator:
All these years later,

her life remains very much
anchored around skiing.

Yet the sport she loves so much

has taken a toll on her body.

(radio chattering)

Man, I'm so fucking old.

(chuckles)

Lindsey:
My neck hurts.
My knee hurts.

(radio chatter continues)

Narrator: Every part, it seems,
has absorbed the punishment
at one point or another.

-Her right knee, though...
-Right there, huh?

Narrator:
...the one that's been through
four surgeries and counting

is the biggest concern
heading into this season.

Lindsey:
There's no one that's
as old as I am out there.

Let's go... (indistinct)

I mean, my body
at 24 was crazy.

I mean, I crashed a ton
and nothing ever happened.

Now, you know, I just have
so many things wrong.

It's like Whac-A-Mole.

You know? It's like...

trying to put out
one fire at a time.

This right here.
Oh yeah.

The bones twist
right there.

Lindsey: It wasn't
this bad before.

Woman (over radio):
Is Lindsey in the gate?

Winninger:
All right, Linds,
let's go. Go!

Thomas Hackett:
Ski racing is an inherently
dangerous sport.

NFL has a lot of injuries
and concussions,

but you also have pads
and you're on a soft surface.

Imagine being a speed skier
on a downhill course,

with three millimeters
of neoprene on you and a helmet.

They're pushing the envelope,
and, unfortunately,

when they do get injured,

the injuries can
be pretty heavy.

Racing downhill
is as dangerous
as it gets.

You know,
one mistake, and...

and, uh, it could be
the ultimate price.

-Commentator 1: This woman--
-Commentator 2: Whoa! Ouch!

She's down
and into the orange...

The best example
would be go 80 miles
an hour in your car,

and just hop out
your car.

Street:
When you think
about the reality

of the dangers,
what could happen,

it's definitely kind
of an eye-opener.

Commentator:
Oh, goodness!

Where is he going?

Street:
In any given time,

fatality is... is lingering.

Commentator:
He's in trouble!
He's down!

What an ugly impact that was.

Narrator:
Roughly a dozen ski racers
have died in accidents

in training or competition
over the last few decades.

Commentator: Oh, he's getting
a little tied up and--

Lindsey:
We all know it. We don't
really like to talk about it,

but it's the risk that
we all take every day

when we're in
the starting gate.

I've definitely been lucky

in the first part
of my career that,
you know, nothing worse

came out of any of my crashes.

Commentator:
Vonn over the top!

And she is down heavily!

Lindsey:
Starting in 2013,
I tore my ACL,

tore my MCL off the bone...

(overlapping): ...had
a tibial plateau fracture,
then, I retore my ACL...

...tore apart my meniscus...
...eight sutures
on my medial side...

...reconstructed
my ACL again...

...seven sutures
on my lateral side...

I shattered my arm,
nerve damage...

...eighteen screws...
Broke my wrist, broke my ankle.

I've had some pretty
bad concussions.

There's been a lot.

Hackett:
This is an X-ray
of Lindsey's knee

that we took just
a couple of months ago.

The difference between
her right knee here
and the left knee,

she's getting all these
bone spurs growing up,

it's more narrow.

The knee is now
really getting to be,

kind of what we call
bone-on-bone,

which means there's
not much bearing surface,
not much cartilage.

This is the knee of somebody
that's almost 60 years old.

It's pretty remarkable that
she's been racing at the level

she's been racing at
with a knee like this.

-(voices chattering)
-(footsteps crunching snow)

Narrator:
It is the fine line she toes
more gingerly than ever,

knowing the risk she takes

every time she goes
down the mountain.

As a personal team of
coaches and technicians

all focus on ensuring every
day of training is optimized.

Let's go,
Linds, come on.

Lindsey:
I can't do anything
without my team.

Coach (over radio):
Lindsey on course.

Lindsey:
On the hill, we need
to have a good plan.

Heinz has to make my skis fast.

Claire has to make
sure I'm not doing

a million interviews
so that I can actually
focus on what I'm doing.

We're more like
a family than a team.

We're all focused on
the same thing, which is

having me win races and being
the best that I can be.

Alex Bunt: This is just a daily
well-being review sheet
that Lindsey fills out.

Subjectively measure
her fatigue, sleep,

soreness, stress,
and mood.

Let's us know
when to back off

-and when we can continue
to push her.
-Oh!

Hoedlmoser:
We get the feedback from Alex,
how she's doing in the gym.

With all that information,
we can adjust the load
on the hill.

Lindsey: Should be
good for two or three.

-Better than nothing.
-Yeah.

Patrick Riml:
If she can ski three runs
a day, that's perfect.

You gotta make sure
that she leaves every
training session

pain-free and happy.

Oblique feels
fine on this side?

Winninger:
We have recovery strategies.

There's daily physical
therapy sessions,

you know, so that we kind
of keep the machine going.

Lindsey:
I've a lot of restrictions
at this point in my career.

I can't run,
I can't jump really.

I can't do a lot of things that

pretty much every other athlete
on the World Cup is doing.

Winninger: When you've had
the number of injuries that
Lindsey has had,

the focus becomes fewer runs,

but really quality runs.

Lindsey:
I feel like my skiing
is at a good point,

where I'm confident
in what I'm doing.

It's not that I need
to work on my technique

at this point in my career
so much as finding out
the best equipment.

Lindsey:
Which one are we taking now?

Haemmerle:
Number two.

Lindsey:
Every run, I'll have
a different pair of skies

that Heinz wants
information on.

Is this ski fast?
Does it turn well?

Do I like it?
Do I not like it?

Haemmerle:
Working for Lindsey
is something special.

Her focus is not being second.

Her focus is
winning,

and I, I have
the same focus.

Lindsey:
We call him Magic Heinz.

He's like the guru
of all ski technicians.

He has wax that
he's hidden away from like

20 years ago that they
don't make anymore that

no one even knows exists.

Narrator:
Of all the specialized
jobs in ski racing,

ski technicians,
like Heinz Haemmerle,

carry perhaps the most
conspicuous mystique...

dedicating countless
hours tuning and waxing

the devices to make them
as fast as possible
on the snow.

Lindsey:
He's in small,
unheated garages,

tuning my skis until
three in the morning.

Narrator:
Nearly a decade ago,
Haemmerle suggested

to Vonn that she start
racing on men's skis,

specifically,
Olympic gold medalist
Bode Miller's.

Miller:
Everyone said the same thing,
all the techs, all the coaches,

she can't ski on men's,
she's gonna blow her knee out,
or she's gonna hurt herself,

and I was like, look,
a good ski is a good ski.

Lindsey:
Bode had the stiffest skis

of anyone on the World Cup,
man or woman.

I started skiing on them
and I loved them.

They were so much more stable.

I could get so much more
power out of every turn.

Commentator 1:
Lindsey Vonn--
I believe it's the first time

I've ever heard of it
on the World Cup--

skiing on men's downhill skis.

Commentator 2:
They're longer,
they're stiffer,

but she's able to handle it.
She's that good.

Lindsey:
Women are capable of
skiing on men's skis.

It's not like it's impossible.

We just-- No one ever
thought of it before.

Commentator:
That had been
close up until now.

Lindsey Vonn has got it

by a second!

Winninger:
Lake Louise is just
around the corner.

Those are the opening
speed races of the year,

and so she's prepping
for that right now.

She always looks
forward to Lake Louise

because she's had a pretty
strong track record there.

Lindsey:
Lake Louise has always been

a really important place
for me on the World Cup.

Narrator:
In fact, she's
won at Lake Louise

a staggering 18 times,

including at least
once every year

from 2004 to 2015.

(crowd cheering)

Commentator:
No woman has won more downhills
in her career in Lake Louise

than Lindsey Vonn.

And now, she hits
the finish line

into the lead once again.

Narrator:
This year, as usual,

the venue will host
the first three

speed races of the season.

Three separate chances
for World Cup wins,

with Lindsey needing
five to set the record

she so badly wants.

-(cheering)
-Oh, I love this! Bye!

Lindsey: I really hope I can
win at Lake Louise so I can
have that confidence,

so I can have that momentum.

Normally, when I start
off well in Lake Louise,

that's a good indication
for the rest of the season.

(Lindsay speaking)

Two or three,
we'll see how it goes.

How's the knee
in warm-up?

It's still not as bad
as it was before.

-But--
-But I'm looking for it
to not to get to that point.

Well, yeah, but we're
not skiing tomorrow.

I know, but I can't promise
that it recovers in one day.

Yeah, it will.

Winninger:
Since Lindsey's had four knee
surgeries on that right knee,

we are definitely
in a position this season

where it's very touch-and-go.

You know, another crash
could end everything.

Coach:
Lindsey, run two.

Oh, fuck.

(Ski Patrol speaking)

Narrator:
The crash injures
her left knee,

not the typically
troublesome right one,

but it's still
a cause for concern.

Just 10 days before
the World Cup opening races

in Lake Louise.

-Doctor: I Looked at the MRI.
-Lindsey: And?

Your ACL, PCL,
MCL are fine.

-(sighs)
-Okay?

You have a couple of
non-displaced fractures.

(whispers):
All right, okay, okay.

-Okay.
-Which is good because
they're not displaced.

The LCL on the outside
is the only one

-I need to look in close
and examine you, okay?
-Okay.

-Hurt very much?
-No.

That's where the pain is
coming from, but when you--

The non-displaced
fracture is right in here,

-but not back here.
-Right there. Okay.

So, it's kind of hard
to tell if this is

like a two-week thing
or a six-week thing.

-Okay.
-I don't think I can
get you back in 10 days.

-(doctor speaks indistinctly)
-Yeah.

All right, let me see
if I can get those pulled up.

Okay. Thank you.

I can get back
by Lake Louise, I'll be fine.

Karin (chuckling):
By Lake Louise?

Yeah, I'm not missing
Lake Louise.

-Zero chance of it.
-(Karin laughs)

Winninger:
This extends down towards
your tibial tubercle.

-This the other side, so it
does extend on both sides.
-Wow.

Oh, there's no chance
I can ski Lake Louise.

-I don't think so, Linds.
-(sighs heavily)

I'm gonna call
early January.

In terms of throwing
in the towel, that's
not where we're at, okay?

That's not where
we're at at all.

Your initial thoughts?

Winninger:
While it's not ideal,
there hasn't been one situation

in the last five years
that's been ideal.

You've come back
and won every single time.

Lindsey:
It's not like I choose
to be dramatic.

It's not like I choose
to have these injuries

and comebacks.
I'm just trying to race.

Like, I'm just trying
to win races, that's
all I'm trying to do.

If you wanna win
a downhill race,

you can't...
you can't be afraid,

and... I think that's
what's been my biggest asset.

Possibly my biggest
downfall... (chuckles)

in my career,
but it definitely allowed me

to win as many times as I have.

-(cheering)
-Commentator: Lindsey Kildow
coming to the bottom.

Oh, what a margin!

1.24 seconds for Lindsey Kildow

-who moves into first!
-Oh my God!

Narrator:
It wasn't long after
joining the US ski team

that Lindsey met Thomas Vonn,

a fellow ski racer
nine years her senior.

Lindsey:
I had never dated anyone
when I got on the US ski team.

Like, I didn't know
what I was getting into,

and I feel like I missed
10 steps in my childhood,
you know.

I didn't really go
to high school.
I didn't go to prom.

I didn't like have these
experiences that teach
you certain things.

I just kind of went
straight into adulthood.

We just started dating,
and my parents were
getting divorced,

and so, I kind of needed
somebody to lean on,

and I leaned on him.

Narrator:
And as their connection grew,

her bond with her father
began to break apart.

Lindsey:
My dad didn't
like the fact that

Thomas was so much
older than me.

They had talked
a few times and...

it really did not go well.

Not to create controversy,
but it's, uh--

She would readily admit
that that's the one place

where she and I part company.

I didn't like it at all.

It just came to a head
really quickly,

and there wasn't really
a lot to discuss.

It was...

You know, you gotta make
a choice what you want,
and, um...

I rebelled.

After that, my dad didn't
come to any more races,

and we didn't talk
for six years.

Narrator:
Thomas soon became not
just Lindsey's boyfriend,

but also her coach.

Lindsey:
Thomas was a tech guy.
He was very detail-oriented

and looked at skiing
in a totally different way

than anyone else did.

Narrator:
She'd go on to win

seven World Cup events over
the next three years...

Commentator:
Lindsey Kildow,
she really went for it today.

-Narrator: ... before the couple
got married in 2007.
-(shrieks)

Lindsey:
Got married when I was 22.

And my dad didn't come
to the wedding.

I didn't invite him.

Karin:
Lindsey went from one
intense coach to another.

Every race
she was winning,

and things were really
rolling for her,

so some element
of it was good,

but for her personal life,
I don't think it was very good.

Commentator:
Lindsey Vonn of
the United States

just putting yet another

piece of hardware up
on a sensational season.

The overall champion,
the downhill champion
for the year,

and still more racing ahead.

Final turn at the finish
line for Lindsey Vonn,

-and yes, into the lead!
-(screams)

And she knows that she has
won herself another super-G,

and another disciplined title!

Lindsey:
I'm just a hard worker,
and I really wanna succeed

more than anything
else in the world,

and what I want to become is

you know, somewhat
of a, I don't know, legend.

I don't know if that's
really the right word,

but I want people, you know,
random people in New York City

to be like, "Oh, Lindsey Vonn,"
you know, "She's a skier."

Narrator: And in 2010,
she had a golden chance

to realize that dream
at the Vancouver Olympic Games.

(crowd cheering)

Commentator:
Mancuso, Lindsey Vonn,

into the lead by more
than a half-second.

-(screams)
-(crowd cheering)

-(cheering)
-Yeah!

Lindsey: Winning the gold medal
in the Olympics was definitely
the highlight of my career.

I wanted to call my dad
after I won the gold medal,

but it was kind of,
like, the norm for me
at that time not to.

Thomas:
Unbelievable.

Alan: To win a gold medal
in the Olympics is kind of
the ultimate.

And so when she won that
in 2010, that was great.

(Interviewer speaking)

Uh, well, at that time,
I didn't say anything.

And then,
she went on from there.

Karin:
It was just an eerie time
at the Vancouver Olympics,

'cause our whole family
giving up everything
for this Olympic gold medal,

and then at the same time
in the finish, you're like,

Dad is not allowed
to be at the race,

and so he would go
undercover and watch

from the stands
and never be seen.

Commentator:
She's the beautiful face of
the successful US ski team,

a gold medalist,
and recently became

the most decorated US skier

in World Cup history,
passing the great

-Bode Miller.
-Interviewer: You are
on the top of your game.

Absolutely in
the top of your game.

Lindsey:
I mean, I'm always striving
to do more, ski faster,

and I'm definitely gonna
keep working as hard
as I can

until my body just gives out.

Newswoman (on broadcast):
Any injury does push back

the start of Vonn's
final season.

Vonn previously announced
her plan to retire

after the 2018-19 season,

regardless of whether
or not she breaks

the all-time record
for most World Cup wins.

And if Vonn can capture just
one more win this season,

the 34-year-old will
become the oldest woman

to win a World Cup race.

(laughs) Hmm...

Grandma Vonn.

Wow, thanks CBC.

Newswoman:
Her body has reached
its breaking point.

("Nonstop" by Drake playing)

-Winninger: Go.
-Bunt: Let's do 80 today.

It's all about the breath.

Winninger:
Javelin.

Yeah, Linds!

♪ Hey, this is a Rollie
not a stopwatch ♪

♪ Shit don't ever stop ♪

Use max reps.

Winninger:
With each injury,
Lindsey is,

"Tell me what the plan is,
tell me how long I'm out.

Just tell me
what to do and I'll do it."

Narrator:
The goal is to complete
the rehab in six weeks,

and make an early
January return

that would give her
in the range of 13 races

to win the five
she needs for the record.

Ambitious,

but with her resolve,
not yet impossible.

Riml: She's physically strong,
but I think she's also
very stubborn.

If she wants to do something,

she's gotta make sure
she's taking care of it.

-Everything up. Up, up, up.
-All right.

Lindsey:
Whenever I'm injured,
I always think about my mom,

and it really puts
things in perspective.

October 18th, 1984,
I had Lindsey,

but I do not remember anything
after getting to the hospital.

I had a stroke, and...

I do not remember
anything for seven weeks.

Gradually, I came
out of the coma,

but then I was paralyzed
on my left side.

I couldn't hold her,
I couldn't carry her.

It's kind of hard to have a baby
and not be able to hold her.

Lindsey:
She has a hard time balancing.

She can't run.
She can't ride a bike.

She can't ski.

When I was young, my dad
came up with this plan

that I would run
a mile every weekend.

When he was out of town,
it was my mom's job

to take me to the track.

And one day,
I just didn't wanna do it.
I mean, I hated running.

I've always hated running.
It's always hurt me.

I told my mom,
no, I'm not gonna do it.

And she started to try to run,

and it was such
a struggle for her.

It was really hard
to watch, so...

it really made me sad.

I mean, that's
how much she cared.

And...

my injuries are all things

that I can overcome
with hard work.

It's not like my mom where
there is nothing she can do,

and having that perspective
has been really important
to me.

I don't like anyone
telling me what I can
or can't do,

including my knee.

-(grunts)
-Nice.

Done.

(wind blowing)

-Is it gonna fit?
-Yep.

Lindsey:
But I'm like two weeks
ahead of schedule

with the way it's healing.

Yeah, I do feel
good about it.

As long as we can train hard,
I'll be good to go.

Narrator:
By New Year's,
the momentum and progress

in her recovery has
Lindsey on her way

to rejoining
the US ski team in Europe,

with the heart of
the World Cup season

once again playing out.

With stops across
two continents,

and hundreds of thousands
of impassioned fans,

the World Cup tour is
one of the most popular
sporting events on the planet.

(crowd roaring)

(shouting)

Lindsey: The World Cup
in ski racing is
the biggest deal.

I think a lot of people have
a misconception about skiing

that we just do the Olympics
and maybe the World
Championships,

but, you know,
the World Cup is

what all of us
ski racers focus on.

(cheering)

Narrator:
The all-time record
for World Cup victories

belongs to the legendary
Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark,

who, in 1989, won his 86th
and final World Cup race,

the record that,
three decades later,

Lindsey Vonn is
so hungrily chasing.

(applause)

(church bell ringing)

She's the only skier
to even come close

to Stenmark's record,

with her 82 wins

far past anyone else
on the all-time list.

And now,
back in the old country,

the hope is there's enough
time left to chase history.

(ringing fades)

(chattering)

(Lindsey speaks)

(Heinz speaks)

-(Lindsey speaks)
-(Heinz speaks)

Coach:
You're clear, Lindsey.

Come on!

Coach (over radio):
Lindsey on course.

Narrator:
For now, simply getting
back on the mountain

to train is a huge victory.

With her belated
season debut planned

for next week in
St. Anton, Austria.

Haemmerle:
Yeah!

Now, we're talking!

I really liked the top
because this time,
you were really moving.

-(girl speaks)
-Yeah.

(Lindsey speaking German)

Okay, yeah. (speaks German)

-(skis clack)
-Come on, Lindsey.

Come on!

Lindsey:
You know, I didn't really
know what to expect

when I got on the snow
and it actually felt great.

-Man 1: Feel better? Yeah?
-Lindsey: I'm good, thank you.

-Knee's getting better?
-Yeah, getting better.

-Good luck for the season.
-Thank you. Thank you.

-Man 2: Glad to see
you back. Really happy.
-Thank you. Appreciate it.

There is a reason
why I come back faster.

It's because
I put in more time.

I do two therapy sessions a day

plus my workouts.

I definitely think it's
possible to break this record.

I won five races last year,

and that's what I need to break
the record this year is five.

Narrator:
A successful comeback
would be merely the latest

in a long line of
returns from the brink.

The latest rejection
of the hand that fate
has dealt her.

Lindsey:
I feel like it's because
I'm always on the limit here.

You really have to push it,

and sometimes when
you're pushing the limit,

you make mistakes, but...

thankfully, I'm still standing,

and I'm in one piece basically,

so everything is good.

("7 Rings"
by Ariana Grande playing)

Narrator:
As for her personal life,

not long after winning
gold at the 2010 Olympics,

she and Thomas separated.

Lindsey:
Mixing business
with a relationship

is not a recipe for success.

I just wanted to be happy,
and I didn't care

about what would happen
if I got divorced.

I just wanted a divorce.
I saw it as the only solution

to making my life better.

I needed help with my divorce.
I called my dad.

He's a lawyer,
so he knew what to do.

There is a certain
predictability to it.

a certain inevitability to it.

It took us a while to get back
to normal conversation,

but he helped me get out
of it and back on my feet.

Commentator:
Lindsey Vonn,
out on the course.

♪ Been through some bad shit,
I should be a sad bitch ♪

♪ Who woulda thought
it'd turn me to a savage... ♪

Lindsey:
I remember an article,
it begged the question

would I be able to ski fast
without a man by my side.

And that drove me insane.

Commentator 1:
And has done it
by a huge margin!

Commentator 2:
Lindsey Vonn
dominates this field.

Lindsey:
The biggest problem was
I always thought that my value

came because someone
else said it.

Having the best season
of my career right after
my divorce

was the best thing
that could happen to me

because I finally was getting
confidence off the hill.

Photographer: Lindsey!
This way, Lindsey!

Lindsey:
I kept Thomas's name

because it's like my alter ego.

When I am in a starting gate,
that's my character.

-Commentator 1: Lindsey Vonn!
-(crowd cheering)

Commentator 2:
How does she do it?

Commentator 3:
That is embarrassing
for the rest of the field.

♪ Gee, thanks, just bought it ♪

♪ I see it, I like it,
I want it, I got it ♪

Lindsey:
Unfortunately, that following
season was the season

that I tore my ACL.

David Letterman:
Do you mind if
we show the footage

-of the crash? Okay.
-Oh, go for it.

How fast are you
going here, Lindsey?

-Lindsey: I don't know, 75.
-Letterman: 75? Oh...

Lindsey:
Had I not been as confident

as I was at that point,
I would've...

probably quit.

First time you get
back up on skis,

was there a certain
measure of, oh my God,

I just don't know if I can
perform the way I did before?

-Do you have that in
your head a little bit?
-Nope.

-Wow, that's remarkable.
-(applause)

♪ If I like it,
then that's what I get ♪

♪ I want it,
I got it ♪

♪ I want it, I got it ♪

♪ I want it,
I got it ♪

♪ I want it, I got it ♪

Commentator:
And now, in just
her second race back,

Lindsey Vonn is into the lead

once again in
Lake Louise, Canada!

Yeah!

Hoda Kotb:
Your life has gone up and down,
and in a very public way,

-and you feel like you've
grown a lot through that pain.
-I have.

Yeah. I was married,
I was divorced,

I was dating Tiger,
I was not dating Tiger.

I've had many,
many injuries.

I won Olympics,
I missed Olympics, and, um,

throughout all of it,
I always found

my strength on the mountain.

I finally feel like
I'm confident and I...

I'm healthy, and everything is
just working out really well.

-Kathy: You speak with great
honesty and candor...
-Hoda: Yeah.

-You're so lovable.
-Thank you so much.

(distant voices echoing)

Narrator:
A week after
arriving in Europe,

Lindsey appears poised
for her latest comeback.

Set to compete in two events
in Saint Anton, Austria,

if only the weather,
always a factor in the sport,

would cooperate.

Hoedlmoser:
As you all heard now,

the race in Saint Anton
got canceled

because of all the snow
that's there, and...

there's no decision made yet

where they gonna
make up the races,

but there's a really
good chance in Cortina

that there's
something going on.

Lindsey:
Puts a little more
pressure on me

because I kind of
go into Cortina

without having raced
in the place where

I have won a lot,
so it's expected

that I win and that's...

kind of an unfair
expectation since I...

haven't really skied,

and I've got no LCL (scoffs),
but no one knows that.

Narrator:
So, for better or worse,
Lindsey and her team

travel to
Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy,

to rejoin the World Cup
tour at another site

where she's enjoyed
ample success,

from the very beginning
of her career

to one of its greatest peaks.

(cheering)

So, Lindsey, Cortina, obviously
a very special venue for you

with 12 of your 82
World Cup wins coming here,

and I could definitely
sense your excitement

when we were
driving in today.

How does it feel to be making
your return here in Cortina?

I love Cortina.
I think everybody

here knows that.

It's where I got
my first podium.

I remember calling my dad,

you know, saying
that I finally made it.

That was kind of
the first time that I felt like

I really belonged
on the World Cup.

The other specific memory is,

obviously, breaking
the win record, 63 wins.

I just have confidence here.

Announcer:
Hello, Lindsey.

(Announcer speaking)

Commentator:
The greatest American
skier of all time.

Yesterday, in the downhill,
pulled even

with the greatest female
skier of all time,

and now a chance to have a page

in the history books
all to her own.

Oh, look at this.
Just smooth transition,

linking it up,
so comfortable on this snow.

She is so confident.
Unbelievable!

A record that has
stood for 35 years,

and Lindsey Vonn

-across the line!
-(cheering)

And that is looking like
a legend in the making!

(cheering continues)

The magical number 63.

Lindsey:
That weekend,

everything was lined up,

and I knew...

that I just had to execute.

I don't know,
I just knew it was time.

(crowd cheering)

(wind blowing)

Narrator:
To make up for the canceled
events in Saint Anton,

the program in Cortina will
now include three races

rather than two
as originally planned.

A pair of downhills
and a super-G.

Certainly looking
to maximize her opportunities,

Lindsey will compete
in all three.

Lindsey:
I feel really good
coming into Cortina.

Training went
well in Reinswald,

but I haven't skied more
than two days on in a row

since even before my crash.

Because I'm skiing with no LCL,

my leg is quite loose,

but I've definitely dealt
with a lot of pain before,

and if I will myself
to ski a fast run,

I can do it.

(crowd cheering)

(cheering)

Commentator:
Well, it has been 309 days

since Lindsey Vonn last raced,

and now, after recovering
from a knee injury,

-she is back in
a World Cup start house.
-Winninger: Here we go.

Get after it, Linds.

-Haemmerle: All yours.
-Winninger: Go, Linds,
you gotta go.

(shouts)

Commentator:
Five victories
away from becoming

the winningest
racer of all time.

What are you watching for
from her run today, Pino?

Pino:
Just these early turns--
it's bumpy in here.

She's getting bumped.
She's getting bumped
around a lot.

Pino:
Vonn said yesterday
not interested

in second, third, or fourth.

Commentator:
Of her 12 wins here
for her career,

six have come in
this downhill discipline.

South of seven-tenths back.

Pino: First 20 seconds,
a little rough.

She got taken for a ride.

Commentator:
After missing the first
two months of the season,

Lindsey Vonn is into seventh
place in Cortina, Italy.

(horn blowing)

-Claire: You lost it
on that turn, huh?
-Lindsey: Yeah.

You know, I just made
one really big mistake,

and unfortunately
that cost me a lot of time.

I feel like I'm a little
bit behind the curve,

but, in general, uh,

I know what I'm capable of.
I know I can win races.

Fix things for
tomorrow, and, uh,

ski the course
the way I know how.

-(Lindsey speaking German)
-(speaks German)

Thank you.

Ciao!

Commentator:
And now, Lindsey Vonn,
15th yesterday,

the second race
today in her comeback

after 10 months out.

Come on, baby,
get this.

It's yours,
your course.

Winninger:
Come on, Linds, new day.

Fly low, baby.

(clicks skis)

-Get this, baby.
-Winninger: Come on, Linds.

-(cheering)
-Get fired up here.

-Get fired up here,
Linds, let's go!
-Haemmerle: Yeah, baby!

Commentator:
Pino, what do you expect
to be different about

her downhill today
from downhill number one
this weekend?

Pino: I think she gets
buoyed by being beaten,

and I know she was not
happy with yesterday.

And there you can
see Vonn, again,

backing away a little
bit from the power.

Commentator:
And leading some more time
at the most recent interval.

Pino: One of the most
challenging things for a skier

who's had a knee injury,
recent knee injury,

is to ski across
an icy surface.

Could still bring
some time back.

Commentator:
After finishing 15th
in downhill number one,

she's fourth today for
the moment at 1.3 seconds back.

Narrator:
While her second trip down
is better than her first,

by the time the event ends,

she slipped down
the leaderboard to ninth.

There's one more race
tomorrow, but already,

it's plain to see, with only
nine races to go in the season,

how difficult
her goal of breaking

Ingemar Stenmark's
record is going to be.

(car rumbling)

(Heinz speaking)

(Lindsey speaks)

(Heinz speaks)

(Lindsey speaks)

-(Heinz speaks)
-I know.

Narrator:
So today, Sunday January 20th,

will be the third day
in a row that she competes,

putting significantly
more pressure on her knee

and undeniably
feeling the effects.

Lindsey:
I just feel like when I'm
bending, something's not...

Pull it around.
Good.

Try that.

Lindsey: Yeah.

(Lindsey speaks)

(buzzing)

Claire:
Get it, okay? Show them.

Narrator:
On one hand,
it makes no sense--

putting herself
through all this

after all she's
already accomplished.

On the other hand,
deciding to race

is deciding to do
all she's ever known.

♪ Bite my tongue,
bide my time ♪

♪ Wearing a warning sign ♪

♪ Wait till the world is mine ♪

♪ Visions I vandalize ♪

♪ Cold in my kingdom size ♪

♪ Fell for these ocean eyes ♪

♪ You should see me
in a crown ♪

♪ I'm gonna run
this nothing town ♪

♪ Watch me make
'em bow one by ♪

♪ One by one ♪

♪ One by, one by one ♪

♪ Count my cards,
watch them fall ♪

♪ Blood on a marble wall ♪

♪ I like the way they all... ♪

Winninger:
All right, Linds, new day.

New day right here.

You gotta get amped up.
You know, you gotta charge,

top to bottom to get
in there. Come on.

Announcer (over PA):
Here's number eight,

the Queen of Speed
of Cortina d'Ampezzo,

US of A,

Lindsey Vonn!

(cheering)

Winninger:
All the way, Linds.
All the way, top to bottom.

-This is yours, Linds.
Fight for it, Lindsey.
-Lindsey: Let's go!

(Haemmerle speaks indistinctly)

-Come on, let's go!
-Go!

♪ You should see me
in a crown... ♪

Commentator 1:
And now, the final run
in Cortina for Lindsey Vonn,

a six-time winner
in the super-G on this hill.

Commentator 2:
I'm very interested to see
the level of aggression

that Vonn is...
willing to take...

as she comes through here.

It is the very section
that had given her

so much difficulty
through the downhill,

and I would say
the challenge even higher.

You see Vonn
much more willing

to jump onto that
right-footed ski.

-Winninger: Here we go.
Come on, Linds.
-Game on, baby.

-Winninger: Come on.
-Haemmerle: Game on!

Commentator 1:
At the second split,

Lindsey Vonn has
brought some time back,

getting closer to the lead.

Commentator 2:
Unbelievable that Vonn,

in such a challenging section,

skiing on a knee that
is just hanging together

by shreds of cartilage.

This is pure will.

Oh no! And Vonn has skied out,

having made it through the most
difficult part of the course...

-Ah, shit.
-...and then just gets
on the gas

a little bit too early.

And what a disappointing end

to Vonn's campaign in Cortina.

(cheering)

(announcer speaking
indistinctly over PA)

(cheering)

(Lindsey sobbing)

Crowd:
Lindsey! Lindsey! Lindsey!

(cheering)

(sobbing)

(radio chatters indistinctly)

Commentator 1:
Over the final jump,

Mikaela Shiffrin
looking to make it

three for three
in super-Gs this season,

and she's got the lead today

in northern Italy!

(Lindsey speaks)

(Sofia Goggia speaking)

(Lindsey speaks)

(Sofia speaks)

Interviewer:
Next up for the women
head to Garmisch,

another venue where you've
had tremendous success.

How are you feeling
heading into another venue

where you have so much history?

I'm not sure if I'm going
to Garmisch. I really...

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure
if I can keep going.

(Winninger speaks)

(Lindsey speaks)

Winninger:
You got it.

-Fan 1: Lindsey!
-Fan 2: Lindsey,
please, a picture!

Fans:
You're amazing!
You're wonderful!

We love you!

-Thank you for trying!
-Lindsey: Thank you.

Girl:
Lindsey!

Lindsey, this for you!

Lindsey:
For me?

Thank you, thank you.

Fan:
Lindsey! Please, please!

Fan:
Lindsey!

(phone line ringing)

(Lindsey speaks)

I'm not gonna sit here and...

grind it out for no reason
if I'm not able

to ski the way I wanna ski.

I always-- I always knew that

if there came a time
when I can't win anymore,

I'm not skiing anymore.
There's no reason...

to destroy my body
if I'm not able

to ski the way I want and...

you know?

It's already gone too far.

I don't physically
feel like I can do
what I need to do.

And I understand that.
And, you know...

That's why you
have Winnie there.

That's why you
have Bunt...

to get you ready
again for a...

you know,
the next thing, and...

if we see in Garmisch it's not
gonna work out or whatever--

'cause it might be
totally different.

I mean, we had
situations last year

where you couldn't
even do anything.

-Right? Coming into Cortina.
-I know, but it's...

a lot worse than
it was last year.

It really hurts.

-Like my whole leg
shuts down.
-Yeah.

Like I'm skiing
on one leg,

and it's just...

I don't know
if it's worth it.

I mean, we gotta keep
on trying, right?

I mean, it's...

-You never give up.
-(indistinct)

-You've never
given up before.
-(Winninger speaks indistinctly)

-Yeah?
-Okay.

Yeah, I just need
to think about it.

You know?

Yeah.

Claire:
I think nobody knows
how to come back

from something
more than you do,

and I just want you do
what's best for you.

I'm just hearing conversations
yesterday with Alex,

and just know that

-this is your decision.
-Lindsey: I know. I just,

I feel like everyone's
trying to convince me

to keep going,
and it's like...

-don't you think I'm
trying everything I can?
-Claire: For sure.

It's always
a bummer that

everyone leaves
right after.

And then the same thing
happens even if I win.

Everyone leaves
and that's like...

I get it. They wanna
go home, but...

-Claire: You mean
coaches and stuff?
-Yeah.

-Claire: Yeah.
-But it's like...

That just shows you,
you know? It's like...

It's like anything else,
like any other athlete.

-You're a commodity.
-Yeah.

And when you extinguish
your usefulness,

-they move on
to the next one.
-Yeah.

And I'm not
gonna kill myself

-to make other people happy.
-No.

'Cause I'm the one that has
to live with it when I'm done.

I'm the one that
has to walk around

-and...
-Yeah.

I'm already gonna
be limited. (laughs)

And you've got
so much ahead of you,

you know? Like...

-Yeah.
-So much.

Lindsey:
A lot of people
just don't understand

what I'm going through.

(crowd cheering)

It's a pretty
extreme difference--

what you feel
in the finish area

with all the people
and everything,

to what you feel when you come
home at the end of the day

and you're in a strange
hotel room by yourself,

and I think that
emotional swing

is really difficult
to manage as an athlete

and as a human being.

And I think a lot of
athletes go through it

where they do struggle
with depression,

and people don't understand it

because all they see
is, you know, the success

and all the glamorous
parts about the sport,

but they don't see
the hard work.

They don't see being alone.

They don't see
all the things that

make it emotionally
very difficult.

There's definitely times
when, you know,

things have definitely
dropped off.

(sighs)

In the past, I would slip
into these funks

where I just shut myself
in my room

and I try to, you know,
understand my thoughts
and feelings,

and I try to get
a handle on it.

Sometimes, I'm better
at doing that than others.

And that's why I got Lucy.

I really was sick of being--
coming home to an empty
hotel room,

and I said I need something

that loves me,
that will always be there.

(Lindsey grunts)

Oh, hey.

She doesn't care
if I win races.

She has no idea
what ski racing is.
(chuckles)

Thank you.

And that just makes me
a little bit happier

and makes my life
just a little bit easier.

Narrator:
The next World Cup stop

in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,
Germany,

is just five days away.

As she tries to determine
her next move,

Vonn checks
into a wellness hotel
not far from the mountain.

And after a few days
of contemplation there,

she makes a familiar decision:

Rehabbing the knee
once more is worth a shot.

-Lindsey: Ow! My God!
-Winninger: Okay, okay.

(chuckling): Okay,
we found the worst spot.

It shouldn't be
that sensitive.

-Do you want a hug?
-Lindsey: No. Fuck.

-Get away from me.
-(laughing)

Lindsey:
I thought that the pain
that I was experiencing

was from my bones
hitting together.

As it turns out,
I'm getting complete
muscle shutdown

from my peroneal nerve.

We still haven't figured out
how it happened,

but my whole lower leg
is shutting off.

(whispers):
I don't get it.

Seriously, can't we just, like,

inject something
into it?

Like to calm it down?
Like, can't we...

There's gotta be something
we can do, right?

We need a little bit more
time to figure this out.

Okay.

Narrator:
The indefinite timeline means

she won't be able to race
this weekend in Garmisch.

A few more rest days follow,

and then she returns to the gym

to search for new ways
to handle the nerve pain.

Lindsey:
The plan is try to get my nerve

to calm down so I can actually

do a single-leg squat,
or even a double-leg squat.

-(man speaks indistinctly)
-I can't.

(sighs)

(Lindsey speaking)

Winninger:
Unfortunately,
today's gym session

just didn't go very well.
The nerve pain is pretty real.

You can kind of see it
on her face.

Something's going on
on the inside
of the knee joint.

We need to, uh, get an MRI

and just kind of see
what we're dealing with.

(Christian Fink speaking)

Lindsey:
It's hitting the nerve?

So there's no real way
that it's ever gonna get better?

-Like...
-(Fink sighs)

-(Fink speaks)
-No.

(Fink speaking)

-Yeah, yeah.
-You cannot promise it.

Well, I'm not gonna do--
Like I am not gonna do
another surgery to ski.

Like, I'm not gonna do it, so...

I've had enough surgeries.

So, can you just put
a Band-Aid on it
for right now?

-(Fink speaks)
-I just need a Band-Aid.

Narrator:
The "Band-Aid" is
actually a procedure

to remove the extra fluid
from the joint

and then inject
a shot of cortisol,

a common fix for inflammation

that may be able to help
get her down the hill
a few more times.

Lindsey:
Why am I doing it?
I don't...

There's not a smart answer
to that question.

I don't know. I can't end
with that race in Cortina.

I just can't do it.

I need to...

try at least one more time.

Narrator:
The next time
she tests her knee

is a few days later in Austria.

Next week, as it happens,
are the World Championships

in Are, Sweden,

and a chance for Vonn
to return to action

under the brightest
spotlight of the season.

Lindsey:
For certain angles,

I'm trying to lay it over,
that just doesn't work.

It's kind of like
the feeling that I had...

you know, at the end
of training everyday
where I'm like,

"Nope, it hurts.
It's time to stop."

That's how it feels
all the time now.

I've got a lot of amazing
people on my team.

That's the only reason that

I'm able to keep
doing what I'm doing.

It's amazing to have
that support,

but I think it also
is really difficult

at this stage in my career

because I do feel like
I'm letting everyone down.

The only person that
I can listen to though,

honestly, is myself.

I don't really wanna listen
to myself 'cause I don't...

wanna hear the answer, but...

it's what I need to do.

I basically feel like
I'm just... just like
making it down.

(Lindsey speaks)

I had this vision of how
I wanted to end my career,

and I wanted to have
the fairy-tale ending

to get the record
for myself

and for my team
and for my family.

And...

I'm just not gonna get there.

It's hard to let down
the entire team.

(Hoedlmoser speaks)

Yeah, I mean...

Like, I kind of think that
I should just fucking say,

fuck it, and just...

throw myself down
the mountain in Are and...

see what happens and...

try to get a medal and try
to go out on a high note.

The best I can do is

try to salvage
some of the season.

I'll race in
the World Championships

and that's probably...

all that I have left in me.

-(crying)
-(man speaks indistinctly)

-I'm sorry.
-Hoedlmoser: Don't
be sorry. Come on.

And I know when I think
about it... (sniffles)

I'm being really irrational
and I've done a lot more

in my career than
I ever thought I could,

and I should be jumping up
and down that it's like...

it's amazing, but... (sighs)

(sighs)

I just really wanted to break
that record, but...

(sniffles)

I can't.

-(Hoedlmoser speaks)
-(Haemmerle speaks)

(Hoedlmoser)

(chuckling)

All right, well...

He's ready to leave.
(laughing)

(Haemmerle speaks)

(laughter)

All right, well,

let's go get some
medals and... party.

Yes! Medals!

-Oh my gosh.
You guys...
-Woo!

What do you think?

You don't wanna be
on the road anymore?

No, she's done.

Whether my leg's
working or not,

I'm just gonna ski
the best I can at
the World Championships

and know
that it's my last race,

and I'll be happy
no matter what happens.

I mean, I guess it's not
the fairy-tale ending

that I had hoped, but,

honestly,
who gets that anyways?

It's been
an emotional two weeks

making the hardest
decision of my life,

but I have accepted that
I cannot continue ski racing.

I will compete at
the World Championships

in downhill and super-G

next week in Are, Sweden,

and they will be
the final races of my career.

I've always pushed
the limits in ski racing,

and it's allowed me
to have amazing success,

but also dramatic crashes.

My body is screaming
at me to stop,

and it's time that I listen.

I always say never give up,

so to all the kids out there,

I need to tell you
that I'm not giving up.

I'm just starting
a new chapter.

Don't lose faith
in your dreams,

and if you always give
everything you have,

you'll be happy no matter
what the outcome.

Love always, Lindsey.

(crowd cheering)

Narrator:
So the World Championships

will offer a dramatic final bow

with the entire
ski world watching.

-Announcer: Here we go!
-Alan: All right, it's showtime!

Narrator:
It'll all culminate
with one last downhill,

but first,
it's the super-G today.

Commentator 1:
And now,

American Lindsey Vonn,
the final super-G
of her career,

a discipline where she's won

five season titles and a record

28 victories on the World Cup.

Commentator 2:
Taking a little care on
the line right there is Vonn.

Sometimes, you have
to invest a little,
as they say,

and then allow yourself
to get onto the--

Commentator 1:
And she goes down hard!

(crowd gasping)

Oh, and a hard fall
right there.

That terrain awfully flat,

and Vonn's ski just hooked up,

and it took her
right into the panel.

Commentator 2:
Vonn goes over the front.
At least the ski comes off.

That is what saves the joints,

and that's been the issue
for Vonn, of course,

is the joints there,
but just the impact.

You can see how that would,
at the very least,
take her breath away.

Many of us heard
that her father,

who has been
so much a part of
the champion that she is,

getting hung up with weather,
and he only arrived

about eight minutes

before the start of this race.

And he did get here in time,
but in time to see that.

Commentator 1:
Well, they had the sled brought
over, but as you can see,

Vonn is standing
on her own two feet here.

Commentator 2:
You can only hope that this

is not how Lindsey Vonn

goes out of this
storied career.

Commentator 1:
Oh, she's not gonna
take a sled down.

(applause)

Commentator 2:
In the case of Lindsey Vonn,

you live by the sword,
you die by the sword.

(cheering)

Lindsey:
The crash definitely hurt.
It knocked the wind out of me.

I hit my face with my arm
and that gave me a black eye.

Um, yeah, I'm sore.

Everything kind of hurts
and it's never fun to crash
into the fence.

But I think my knees are okay.

They're all in one piece
for the most part,

so that's positive, and now,

I'm just gonna try to feel
better for the race on Sunday.

It's kind of fitting that
I crashed in my last super-G.

I wish that it had been
the opposite and I'd won,
but, you know, that's my style.

My heart and soul
is on the mountain

and that's not gonna change
for my last race.

If anything,
it makes me even more
focused to try even harder.

(cameras clicking)

Newsman:
What's it feel like
preparing for the downhill,

knowing that you
probably won't win?

Who said I won't win?

I didn't say that.
I could still win.

Don't count me out.
I got one more chance.

Maybe I'll pull off
a miracle, maybe I won't,

but I'm gonna
try my hardest.

I mean, just 'cause
I get knocked down

doesn't mean
I can't get back up,

so I still have
one more chance.

Newsman:
But is it really healthy
for you skiing right now?

I think if you look back
in my career,
for this whole time,

it probably wasn't healthy
for me to be skiing,

but, I mean,
I love what I do.

I love downhill because
I love pushing myself.

I love pushing the limits.

I just can't push
the limits anymore,

but, like I said,

it doesn't mean that, uh,

it wasn't worth the risk.

I take that risk head-on.

♪ Don't you know ♪

♪ I'm no good for you ♪

♪ I've learned to lose you ♪

♪ Can't afford to... ♪

Alan:
There's a certain
tenacity that, uh,

someone in that
position has, whether
it's driving a race car,

or anything that
involves danger in sport

to get up after taking
a fall like that and then...

you're ready to go
right back into it.

That's, uh...
something you can't teach.

♪ But nothing ever ♪

♪ Stops you leaving ♪

Lindsey:
I love you guys.
Thank you for everything,

and let's have
some fun on Sunday.

-All: Woo!
-Cheers!

(chattering)

Lindsey:
It's really important to me
that my dad's here.

I mean, he's the one
that helped me get
to this point,

and I wouldn't be the same

-if he wasn't here.
-Alan: This is, uh, this is...

Lindsey:
My mom's not coming.
Her health isn't great.

It's disappointing,
but not everyone can stop

their world to come watch
my ski race. (chuckles)

My sister Karin
and my brother Reed
came into town.

We're gonna have
some nice family dinners,

and just really have fun.

She has had such a long run.

It'll be sad, but I think

it's a relief for her, too.

You know, in most of our jobs,
we don't have to win everyday.

(indistinct chattering)

-(cheering)
-Lindsey: Thank you
for always supporting me,

and it's been a great career.

I'm very thankful
for everything, and...

you guys are safe.

Ingemar will hold
the record. (laughs)

It's over.

Announcer:
No, it's not over.

This is the beginning!
This is the beginning!

♪ Say I like it like that ♪

♪ Like it like that ♪

(laughter)

Hoedlmoser:
On downhill day, it's not gonna
be any pressure or whatever,

but you are the best
and you gonna prove it

on your last race.
I know it.

-Absolutely.
-Winninger: Yeah!

-(cheering)
-All: Cheers!

(glasses clinking)

Cheers, everyone.

Claire:
She can do it, right, Erich?

(Erich speaking on phone)

(laughter)

♪ Quiet when I'm coming home ♪

♪ And I'm on my own ♪

♪ I could lie and say
I like it like that ♪

♪ Like it like that ♪

-Garreffi: You're in charge.
-Todd Jones: Everyone's ready.

-Lindsey: So, I'm sitting down?
-Jill: Yep.

(Todd Jones speaking)

Jill Garreffi:
All right, it's all you.

(woman speaks indistinctly)

-Okay, thanks.
-(door shuts)

Um...

So, tomorrow is my final race

of my 18-year-long career.

(wind blowing)

It's hard to really...

describe the emotions
that I've been feeling

the last few weeks since
making the decision to retire.

You know, this season
definitely hasn't been at all

what I had expected, um...

And I don't like to think
about it because...

(sighs)

...it's really scary
to think about...

not having something
that I love so much, but...

I also want a future.

I want a future where I am...

I can ski with my kids, and...

I think the thought of
not being able to do that

definitely outweighs
the fact that

I wanted to reach
that goal of 86 wins.

(cheering)

The hole that
skiing will leave,

the adrenaline rush
and the thrill of going fast,

I don't know how
I'm gonna fill that, but...

I do know that it's...
that it's over,

and it's time to move on.

But I do wanna say thank you

to everyone that supported me,

especially my family.

They sacrificed so much
for me to be here.

All my coaches growing up.

Let's go. Let's do this.

Yep. What do you
think, Heinz?

Just try it.

Winninger:
All right,
let's go for Linds.

Coach (over radio):
You know what to do here,
as expected.

Come on, let's charge it.
tucking everything you can...

Lindsey:
To my team...

Winninger:
You can do this.

Top to bottom, it's
all you, buddy. Come on.

-(cheering)
-Announcer: Lindsey Vonn
from the USA!

Lindsey:
To all my fans, you guys
have been so awesome.

Trust me when I say
that your words have...

meant a lot to me and...

-(cheering)
-lifted me up when I was down.

Coach:
One minute.

Haemmerle:
Come on, baby. Get
this last one. Game on.

Winninger:
Get after it, Linds.

I hope that I have
inspired some of you

to pick yourselves back up,

to follow your dreams, to...

work hard, and never
give up on yourself.

Winninger:
Show them who you are, come on.

That's why we are
here for. Game on.

Winninger:
Come on, Linds.
You gotta get fired up to go.

Haemmerle:
Show them what's
gonna happen, baby!

Thank you guys for everything.
It's been an amazing ride.

(team shouting)

-(cheering)
-Commentator 1: Lindsey Vonn,
from the USA!

On her final race!

She is fighting with the pain,

but she wants this race,

and she is gonna
lay it down now,

and put the pedal
to the metal right now.

23/100s off the pace,

but she's going full throttle.

An incomparable 82 victories

in her World Cup career.

The young lady, she grew up

in St. Paul, Minnesota...

-Commentator 2: Oh!
-(cheering)

Commentator 1:
She is closing the gap
on Viktoria Rebensburg.

Just 7/100s off the mark now.

She's picking up speed.

-(crowd cheering)
-(commentator
speaking indistinctly)

And now jumping
into the lead, 23/100s!

Is this the second
highest score-- There she goes!

(commentators
shouting indistinctly)

(crowd cheering)

Yeah!

(laughing)

Commentator 1:
Incredible! Incredible!

Fighting the pain,

but showing
an undeterred spirit.

Lindsey, thank you
for a remarkable career!

All of the ski community
joins us in that.

Bravo!

(cheering continuing)

Crowd (chanting):
Lindsey! Lindsey! Lindsey!

Lindsey:
To be able to be come
down in the lead and...

have the crowd cheering for me,

and I was able
to spot my family.

It was a perfect moment.

-(Ingemar speaks indistinctly)
-Lindsey: Thank you. (laughs)

It means so much to me
that you're here.

I didn't think at that
point that I was gonna get
any sort of happy ending.

Commentator:
Here she comes down
to the finish line!

And she moves into the lead,
at 1:01.74!

Lindsey:
But getting third
in my final race

was just as about
as good as it gets.

I'm gonna put this
next to the gold medals

because this, to me, was, uh...
an incredible race.

I fought with my heart
the whole way down.

I've accepted where I am
in my life, and I'm happy,

and I'm excited
for the future.

I've cried enough tears,
and now, it's just time
to enjoy it.

Reporter:
Okay, congratulations,
and thanks so much.

Thank you so much.
Thank you, guys.

Winninger:
Woo!

(cheering)

-Proud of you, buddy.
-Thanks, buddy.

That's the end of a good story.

Hoedlmoser:
Just so proud
and emotional and, um...

The way she skied,
I mean, was just...

-unbelievable.
-Announcer: In third place,

-Lindsey Vonn!
-(cheering)

-Alan: Good job, my dear.
Proud of you. Really proud.
-Lindsey: Thanks, Dad.

-Come here. I love you.
-Alan: Love you, too.

It's not just the number
of wins, I think.

It's the impact
you have on the sport,

and I think she's had
a good impact, a large impact.

Lindsey:
Aw, thank you.

Thank you, guys.

-(speaking French)
-(kisses)

Thank you, thank you.

Lindsey:
Sometimes,
I have a tendency to,

you know, harp
on the things I didn't do,

rather than, you know,
say, hey, you did a good job.

I don't usually like
saying that to myself,

but I think,
at this point, I have to.

Eighty-seven
would've been great,

but 82's pretty damn nice, too.

All:
Woo!

I think I'm most looking
forward to spending time

with my family and my friends.

I'm looking forward
to doing all those things

that I haven't gotten
to do in the past.

-Oh!
-(cheering)

Thanks, everyone,
for being here.

All:
Cheers!

Alan:
You can't predict

how far somebody's gonna go.

You know, maybe the top
10 in the world.

Maybe the top five
in the world, but...

when she was eight years old,

one of the assignments in
school was to write an essay

about what you're gonna do
with your life, and hers was,

"I'm gonna be the greatest
skier of all time."

That was her goal.

(chattering)

Lund:
Hi, Lindsey! Wave at your daddy!

Say hi, Dad and Mom!

Hi, Dad and Mom!

Lund:
Here's Grandpa.

Okay, Lindsey, we're
all set to go bombing.

Lund:
Right in front of
his favorite run,

-Heavenly Daze.
-Heavenly Daze.

-Woo!
-Grandpa: Lindsey,
she doesn't stop racing.

(laughing)

Go on, Lindsey!

-Lindsey: I win!
-Grandpa: You won!

-Alan: Say hi.
-Hello.

Man:
I think she's good, boy.
She's only 10 years old.

What the hell is
10 more years then?

Hi, I'm Dylan.

-Hi, I'm Karin.
-Hi, I'm Laura.

Hi, I'm Reed,
and we're...

All:
The Extreme, Extreme Team!

-Lindsey: Oh.
That was good.
-That was pretty fun.

-That was pretty weak, huh?
-Dylan: Yeah, we should go
off one of those jumps.

Lindsey:
That was sweet.

(gasps)
Oh my God, Dylan!

(laughs)

Lindsey: This is
the Dream Team

Extreme
home video,

saying bye.

-Bye!
-Dylan: See you!

Hope you had fun
with the video!

Narrator:
This has been a presentation
of HBO Sports.