Posing naked for Sports Illustrated’s annual swimsuit edition last month has clearly had an effect on ski star Lindsey Vonn.
“Right now, I am working on my beach bod and that’s about it,” she joked in an interview with CNN as she reflected on the early end to her season, having fracturing her leg in three places three weeks ago.
“Basically I just need time — I have three fractures and they just need to heal.”
Vonn showed true grit — and a high pain threshold — on the slopes of Andorra last month when, after suffering a hairline fracture to her knee, she not only raced the next day but also extended her World Cup lead.
“No one can ever call me a wimp,” she tweeted afterwards.
The decision to call time on her season didn’t come easily for the 2010 Olympic downhill champion — the most successful skier in U.S. history.
“It was really hard, I was frustrated for a while but I got to see my sister and she cheered me up a little bit,” Vonn explained.
“The biggest reason that I ended my season was because I want to race the next two years.
“I am really looking forward to the Olympics and to the world champs next year, so I accepted it. I’m good and I’m looking forward to next year.”
With Vonn out injured, Switzerland’s Lara Gut won her first overall World Cup title last weekend as she built an unassailable lead over her rival.
Even so, Vonn still took home a crystal globe this week as she had clinched the downhill title prior to her accident.
The title means she has passed the all-time mark of 19 crystal globes set by Swedish men’s great Ingemar Stenmark.
“It’s always hard to end the season early, and to still be able to get a title is really incredible,” Vonn told CNN after collecting her trophy.
“I’m so happy to finally be one of step ahead of Ingemar. I’m always a little bit behind him but I now have more globes than he does,” she laughed.
“It’s been an amazing season. Unfortunately I ended it early, but still I’m really proud of what I’ve accomplished.”
As well as modeling for Sports Illustrated in body paint — alongside Danish tennis player Caroline Wozniacki and UFC star Ronda Rousey — Vonn’s enforced absence has allowed her the chance to take in some top-level basketball as she hung out with Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love, while watching his team thump the LA Clippers.
“My sister lives in LA and I’ve been friends with Kevin for a long time so it was nice to see him and a bunch of my other friends,” she said.
“It’s always nice to go to a sporting event, especially basketball — it’s pretty fun.”
Meanwhile, Gut overhauled Vonn to clinch the super-G World Cup title in St. Moritz on Thursday.
The 24-year-old claimed her second crystal globe this season, and her second in the discipline — adding to her 2014 success.
Needing a top-six finish to deny titleholder Vonn, Gut finished second behind Tina Weirather. The Liechtenstein racer notched her second victory this season to bump Vonn down into third in the speed event’s standings.
In the men’s super-G, Aleksander Aamodt Kilde won his first World Cup title when he tied for second with fellow Norwegian and defending champion Kjetil Jansrud on Thursday.
Kilde, 23, finished 40 points ahead of his more experienced colleague, while compatriot Aksel Lund Svindal — absent due to injury — was third.
Beat Feuz delighted home fans by following up Wednesday’s downhill race win, giving him his fifth podium since January 23 following an injury-hit start to the 2015-16 season.
“I was really unsure if I could make it back this season, so to end with two wins is a dream,” the 29-year-old said.
