Vonn 'can't believe' she's up for an ESPY

By Published On: July 7th, 2008Comments Off on Vonn 'can't believe' she's up for an ESPY

Lindsey Vonn isn’t the type to boast—and when it comes to her nomination for an ESPY award, she remains true to form.
    “I still can't even believe I’m up for Best Female Athlete,” Vonn said in a Facebook message sent from Europe on July 4.
    But she doesn’t need to toot her own horn when her statistics shout the story. Vonn finished last season with five downhill wins to become only the second American, male or female, to win the World Cup downhill title. She also landed podium finishes in super combined and super G to clinch the World Cup overall title, becoming the first woman to win the World Cup overall since Tamara McKinney in 1983.
    Her stats, however, have to hold up against some stiff competition for the coveted ESPY: Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an Indy car race; Lorena Ochoa, the top ranked LPGA golfer in the world and first woman to win more than $4 million in a single season; and Candace Parker, winner of the “AP Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award,” and selected first in the WNBA draft.
LINDSEY VONN isn’t the type to boast—and when it comes to her nomination for an ESPY award, she remains true to form.
    “I still can't even believe I’m up for Best Female Athlete,” Vonn said in a Facebook message sent from Europe on July 4.
    But she doesn’t need to toot her own horn when her statistics shout the story. Vonn finished last season with five downhill wins to become only the second American, male or female, to win the World Cup downhill title. She also landed podium finishes in super combined and super G to clinch the World Cup overall title, becoming the first woman to win the World Cup overall since Tamara McKinney in 1983.
    Her stats, however, have to hold up against some stiff competition for the coveted ESPY: Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an Indy car race; Lorena Ochoa, the top ranked LPGA golfer in the world and first woman to win more than $4 million in a single season; and Candace Parker, winner of the “AP Women’s Basketball Player of the Year Award,” and selected first in the WNBA draft.
    “I think Danica will be my toughest competition because I feel like she is the most well-known athlete of the three,” Vonn says. “Although, golf is also very popular—you never know. All I know is that it’s going to be very hard for a skier to win, but I’m hoping that the power of the Internet might help spread the word to ski fans across the country.”
    Winners of the ESPY Awards will be determined by the number of fans who either vote online at www.espys.tv , or through text messaging espn.mobi. Voting runs through July 12 and the winners will be announced at the ceremonies on July 16, in Los Angeles. Besides U.S. Ski Teamer Vonn, U.S. Snowboard Team members and reigning X Games gold medalists Gretchen Bleiler and Lindsey Jacobellis are also up for an ESPY in the “Best Female Action Sport Athlete” category.

    Waiting and training
    In the meantime, Vonn’s been keeping herself busy. When she first heard about the ESPY, she was in Austria training at the new Red Bull soccer center in Salzburg as part of a three-week camp. “It's called Taxam, and it was amazing,” says Vonn about the facility. “They have everything you could ever want and need for working out.”
    Then she spent the second half of camp in Mieming, in the Tirol region of Austria near Innsbruck, where “I haven’t been working on anything specific, but I have just been doing a lot of everything — pushing my body to the limit every day,” she says. “It was a really hard three weeks but I made it through.”
    For a little reprieve, Vonn went to London, England, and watched another champ, Lewis Hamilton take the Formula One Brit Grand Prix. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get tickets to Wimbledon this year but I am sure Roger will win it all!” she says.
    Vonn will jet back to the States in time for the July 16 event, but finding time for dress  shopping during her trip has been a challenge. “I don't have a dress and it’s really hard to find something while I am [training and traveling] in Europe,” Vonn says. “I might have to do it the old fashion way and order one online.”
    Whatever she ends up wearing, we know that the ESPY Award will be the perfect accessory.

    The ESPYs will be hosted by pop star Justin Timberlake on July 16 and air July 20 at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN.
        

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About the Author: Pete Rugh