Lindsey Vonn to retire from ski racing after world championships in Sweden
Lindsey Vonn of USA in action during the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Super G on January 20, 2019 in Cortina d'Ampezzo Italy. (Photo by Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)
(AP) - Lindsey Vonn says she will retire from ski racing after this month's world championships in Sweden.
The women's all-time leader in World Cup wins 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 Italy last month.
Writing on Instagram , Vonn says "it's been an emotional 2 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 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. The women's downhill is scheduled for Feb. 10.
Vonn says "my body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of. My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen."