After record run, Lindsey Vonn races with less pressure

Brian Pinelli, Special for USA TODAY Sports 3:11 p.m. EST January 21, 2015

Lindsey Vonn smiles after winning a World Cup super-G, in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, Monday.(Photo: Andrea Solero, AP)

Now that the all-time World Cup victories record solely belongs to Lindsey Vonn, what's next to accomplish for arguably the greatest female ski racer in history?

With the burden and pressure of chasing the 35-year old benchmark formerly held by Annemarie Moser-Proell while constantly being questioned about it lifted from her shoulders, Vonn says ski racing will become "mentally easier" for her.

Vonn told USA Today Sports that despite reaching the milestone of 63 World Cup wins, she will not slow down, but she can now take to steep and icy race courses in a more relaxed manner. This weekend she has races in St. Moritz, Switzerland, followed by February's world championships in her hometown of Vail/Beaver Creek, Colo.

"I don't think I'll approach races differently, but this just makes it mentally easier when I stand in the starting gate ... to have less pressure because I've already accomplished something that I never thought I could accomplish," Vonn said.

"Now, it's just like icing on the cake whatever I do from here on out is a bonus," said the 30-year-old racer, who made her World Cup debut in November 2000. "I'm going to try and win a lot more races; I think it's going to be a little bit easier mentally."

Certainly, that is not encouraging news for Vonn's closest challengers. In her second comeback from major knee injuries in two years, Vonn has impressively won four of the eight speed races she has entered in 2014-2015.

Vonn will be seeking her sixth career world championship medal as the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships return to the U.S. for the first time since 1999. For Vonn, it will be another opportunity to shine in front of friends and family at the hometown races. Just once has Vonn won a World Cup race in Colorado.

Vonn missed the chance to race on the new "Raptor" slope last season at a World Cup test event at Beaver Creek. The races came less than two weeks after she had re-injured her right knee in a training crash at Copper Mountain, Colo. on Nov. 19.

However, Vonn recently managed some reconnaissance, scouting and carving turns on the precipitous and imposing piste, while home in Colorado over the holidays.

"The training opportunity was incredible," Vonn said. "I was definitely very intimidated at the beginning, it's so steep and turny, but after a few runs I got the hang of it and now feel pretty confident going into the world championships."

More records seem to be within Vonn's reach, if she can maintain her current return to form and winning ways, while remaining injury free in a sport where risk and danger are always part of the equation.

The veteran American ski racer leads nearest challenger, Tina Maze, by 124 points in the downhill standings after five of eight races. Should Vonn capture another season downhill title, she would equal Moser-Proell's record of seven.

Vonn is also two overall titles shy of Moser-Proell's record of six. Although it seems that this season's large crystal globe is beyond reach Vonn stands fourth, trailing Maze by a substantial 434 points after 18 of 32 races she feels it is a realistic target in the future.

Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark holds the all-time record of 86 World Cup victories in men's racing all attained in slalom and giant slalom between 1974 and 1989.

Vonn advised that she is not ready to look that far down the road.

"I just got the monkey off my back with the 62 wins, so I don't want any stories starting to build about Stenmark's record," Vonn said with a laugh.

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Source: http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2015/01/21/lindsey-vonn-olympics-world-championships-records/22117021/