Lindsey Vonn wins bronze medal in downhill at 2018 Winter Olympics

Josh Peter | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption The Olympics are about the most USA TODAY Sports' Martin Rogers says that the things that terrify most people exhilarate Winter Olympians.

PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — Lindsey Vonn went all out in her much anticipated Olympic downhill race and won bronze behind Italy's Sofia Goggia and Norway's Ragnhild Mowinckel on Wednesday.

Vonn finished in 1:39.69, .47 seconds behind Goggia, who is skiing in her first Olympics and was 11th in both the Super G and giant slalom.

Starting 19th in the field of 39 skiers, Mowinckel knocked Vonn from the silver position to bronze, finishing in 1:39.31.

In an interview with NBC, Vonn said she was pleased with her race.

"I skied a great race today," she said. "Sofia just skied better than I did. I thought I executed the line really well. Maybe I executed too well. I tried to stay on the perfect line. I have no regrets. I’m very happy.

"It was tough to contemplate this being my last Olympic downhill race," she added. "I struggled to keep the emotions together. But I’m proud of my performance.”

More: Lindsey Vonn to take grandfather's memory with her down slopes

More: Red Gerard returns from victory tour in USA to qualify in big air

At 33, Vonn is the oldest female to win an Olympic medal in Alpine skiing, breaking the mark set by Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria, who was 32 years and 332 days when she won the Super-G in 2006.

The downhill was considered Vonn’s best and last chance to win a gold medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She finished sixth in the Super-G Saturday and is not expected to medal Thursday in the combined, her last individual event of the Games.

Vonn won gold in the downhill at the 2010 Games in Vancouver but lost the opportunity to defend her title when a knee injury kept her out the 2014 Games in Sochi. Her downhill bronze Wednesday is the third Olympic medal of her career in four Winter Games.

Vonn said she plans to ski another season — which should be long enough to win the six World Cup races she needs to break the all-time record of 86 victories held by retired Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark. As far as more Olympic medals are concerned, she said she doubts her surgically repaired right knee will hold up long enough for her to compete in the 2022 Games in Beijing.



“I’m just counting on some medical miracles to extend my career,’’ she said Tuesday with a grin.



“I feel like it’s 99.99 percent sure that I won’t (compete in the Olympics again). But who knows? Maybe something will come out and they’ll fix my knee up and I’ll be like Robo knee and I’ll ski for like 10 more years. That’d be ideal.’’



So far, Vonn’s performance at the Games has been as notable for what’s happened off the slopes as on the slopes. Following her disappointing finish in the Super-G, she came under harsh attack on Twitter from people angry about her criticism of President Trump. Before the Olympics, Vonn said she would turn down an invitation to visit the White House if she wins a gold medal.



The day before the downhill race, she said she had no plans to modify her use of social media.



“No, that’s what bullies want you to do,’’ Vonn said. “They want to defeat you. I’m not defeated. I stand by my values and I’m not going to back down.



“I may not be as vocal right now with my opinions, but that doesn’t mean they’ve won. I haven’t changed my mind.’’



She also created a stir Feb 14. when she wrote on Twitter that she was looking for a Valentine’s Day date. “Not well,’’ she said with a smile when asked how the search went.