In a moment that captivated the skiing world, Lindsey Vonn’s coach and fellow skiing legend Aksel Lund Svindal opened up about his raw emotions following the American’s stunning World Cup downhill victory – her first in nearly eight years.
The 41-year-old Vonn dominated the downhill race in St. Moritz on December 12, clocking a time of 1:29.63 to win by a commanding 0.98 seconds ahead of Austria’s Magdalena Egger, with compatriot Mirjam Puchner rounding out the podium in third. This marked Vonn’s 83rd career World Cup win and her first since March 2018, cementing her comeback after a six-year hiatus and partial knee replacement surgery.42e29d,da633b
Speaking to TNT Sports shortly after the race, Svindal – whom Vonn hired as her head coach in August 2025 ahead of the Olympic season – admitted to feeling surprisingly nervous before her run.
“I was surprised how nervous I was at the start, but that’s good. Just means it matters, right? If you get nervous it means that something for you,” Svindal said. “This is the first time I’ve seen her in race mode. It’s why you are fast… You’re definitely like a real racer. So I’m impressed. I mean I was also a racer, but you got more intensity.”
He praised Vonn’s execution of their straightforward game plan, adding: “We had a good plan. It wasn’t too complicated… But I have to say, I thought it would be tight. But you made sure it wasn’t tight, so congrats. Good job.”
The victory was an emotional pinnacle for Vonn, who broke down in tears on the podium as the U.S. national anthem played, trophy in hand.626e44,2a385b,18015a
Svindal later shared a video of the celebratory moment on Instagram, captioning it: “Awesome skiing @lindseyvonn💪🏻☺️” Vonn reshared the post, responding gratefully: “Thanks coach🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻”
Vonn’s triumph not only shattered age records – making her the oldest skier ever to win a World Cup event – but also signaled her strong form heading into the 2026 Olympics in Cortina. She followed up with a second-place finish in the next downhill on December 13, further solidifying her resurgence.
As Vonn continues her final push toward Olympic glory, Svindal’s heartfelt revelations underscore the deep mutual respect and high stakes in their partnership, proving that even for skiing icons, the thrill of victory never fades.
