Minnesota Native Lindsey Vonn Makes Decision On Retirement

Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn, who first learned to ski on Buck Hill in Burnsville, announced Friday that she will retire after the World Championships later this month.

"After many sleepless nights, I have finally accepted that I cannot continue ski racing," Vonn wrote on Facebook Friday. "I will compete at the World Championships in Downhill and Super-G next week in Åre, Sweden and they will be the final races of my career."

In the decision to retire, Vonn cited the serious injuries she's suffered during her career, including a crash in November that left her with a torn LCL and three fractures.

"My body is broken beyond repair and it isn't letting me have the final season I dreamed of," Vonn said Friday. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it’s time for me to listen."

Vonn, a native of Saint Paul, made the Olympics four times and won three medals, including a gold in the Vancouver 2010 downhill.

Vonn won a bronze medal in the women's downhill at the 2018 Winter Olympics.

Photo: Lindsey Vonn of the USA wins the bronze medal during the Women's Alpine Skiing Super-G on Day 9 of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games on February 20, 2010 in Whistler Creekside, Canada. (Photo by Francis Bompard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images)