Lindsey Vonn wins 3rd straight overall World Cup ski title, tops Bode Miller with 33 wins
Standing atop the mountain, Lindsey Vonn already knew she was the best skier in the world for the third year in a row.
Lindsey Vonn of the United States celebrates after winning an alpine ski, Women's World Cup super-G, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Friday
She didn't have to make her last run, but she raced anyway and won Friday's super-G to become the most accomplished U.S. skier with 33 World Cup victories, one more than Bode Miller.
Vonn captured her third straight overall World Cup title when rival and friend Maria Riesch finished out of the top two.
"I said 'Let's go for the American record,'" Vonn said. "I'm so happy — it's over, the season is over and I'm ecstatic."
The American was assured of the overall triumph when rival and friend Maria Riesch of Germany dropped out of the top two. Riesch finished fourth, giving Vonn an unassailable lead of 215 points in the standings before the last race of the season, Saturday's slalom.
"I was so nervous because the overall World Cup title was on the line," said Vonn, who will skip the slalom. "An overall title is one of the biggest things you can win in our sport."
Vonn also picked up titles in the downhill, the super-G and the combined events and is now the American with most World Cup wins at 33. Bode Miller, who skipped the final week of racing, has 32.
"I gave it all I had. I have nothing more (left in me)," Vonn said. "I am the most successful American ever and I am very, very happy."
Vonn became the first woman to win three straight overall titles since Petra Kronberger of Austria in 1990-92.
Riesch needed to finish in the top two to remain in the battle for the race.
Vonn won the super-G on the 2,180-metre-long Kandahar course in one minute 19.30 seconds. Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was second in 1:19.46 and Nadia Styger of Switzerland took third in 1:19.87, .02 seconds ahead of Riesch."I am a little upset because I had really good race at the top but I made a mistake at the bottom, near the finish line ," Riesch said. "But I still have a chance for the slalom title tomorrow."
"I am a little upset because I had really good race at the top but I made a mistake at the bottom, near the finish line ," Riesch said. "But I still have a chance for the slalom title tomorrow."
Vonn said she would skip the slalom Saturday because "my body is broken."
Vonn capped a season that included a gold medal in the downhill and bronze in the super-G at the Vancouver Olympics.
"The last few years have gone really well for me," Vonn said. "I'm so happy everything went well for me this year. It's so hard to say whether you'll be able to win the overall title.
"To stand here in the finish and have a title in my hand is so rewarding."
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