Story highlights
- Skiing sensation Lindsey Vonn is considering legal action in her bid to race men
- The 28-year-old American is the second most successful female skier of all time
- Skiing's governing body rejected her request to take on the men at Lake Louise
- Vonn has four Alpine Skiing World Cup titles to her name and an Olympic gold medal
She's laid down the law in female skiing for the past five years, now Lindsey Vonn is pondering legal action in her quest to test herself against the men.
The International Ski Federation (FIS) blocked her bid to challenge the sport's top male stars at a recent meeting in Canada, but as Vonn has proved throughout her glittering career to date she's no quitter.
Speaking exclusively to CNN ahead of an Alpine World Cup event in Val d'Isere, France, the finest female skier of her generation insisted this fight wasn't over.
Vonn said: "I was definitely disappointed with their decision. After discussing with them my request they seemed pretty positive and optimistic that we could find a solution and then I got their answer and they were completely against it.
"I don't want to make a big stink out of it but I feel like their response that I can't race with the men simply because I'm a woman was definitely gender-biased so I'm going to do what I can and hopefully make something work.
"So right now I'm looking into options -- my father is an attorney so I'm just seeing if there's any options, legally, that I can take."
Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Poster girl – Lindsey Vonn is a marketeer's dream, with her skiing prowess and profile taking the sport to new corners of North America.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Skiing starlet – Vonn burst on to the scene as a 16-year-old and represented the U.S. team on home soil at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in 2002 as a 17-year-old.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Big heart – Skiing is a treacherous sport, demonstrated by this fall Vonn had at the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin. She was airlifted to hospital but returned two days later to compete and finished eighth. Her grit earned her the U.S. Olympic Spirit Award.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Sporting spouse – Vonn married fellow U.S. skier Thomas Vonn in 2007. Vonn also became her coach. The pair split in November 2011.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
First of four – Vonn secured her first World Cup title in 2008. She set a new record for the most World Cup downhill victories in a season with 10. Vonn would go on to win it again two years in a row and now has four to her name.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Under the thumb – Another serious injury, this time to her thumb, ruled Vonn out of the World Ski Championships in Val d'Isere back in February 2009.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Gold plated – Vonn's only Olympic gold medal to date came in the downhill competition at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. "Seeing my name and the number one next to it was the best feeling I've had in my life," she told reporters.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Lake Lindsey – Lake Louise is Vonn's playground. She has dominated there in recent years, winning all three downhill events in December 2012, like she did the year before. Her request to race against the men there this year was rejected.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
Best buddies – Vonn missed out on a fourth successive World Cup title to her good friend Maria Riesch by three points in 2011.
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Photos: Vonn and on: Lindsey's quest
In conversation – Vonn took time out of her preparations for an Alpine World Cup event in Val d'Isere to catch up with CNN's Alpine Edge show.
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It is a brave person who pits their wits against Vonn.
The 28-year-old already has a cabinet stuffed full of silverware, including Olympic gold at Vancouver in 2010, and is officially the second most successful female skier of all time.
Vonn is renowned in Europe's skiing heartlands and a bona fide star in North America but she claims a battle with the male fraternity would elevate the sport to new heights in her homeland.
She responded to the FIS ruling in typical fashion by sweeping all three downhill events at Lake Louise in Canada, despite crashing during one, and all that on the back of recovering from a stomach illness which left her hospitalized in November.
Vonn was also on the podium at the most recent meeting in St. Moritz and is third in the overall standings as she strives for a fifth career Alpine World Cup title.
But as she continues her preparation for this weekend's meet at Val d'Isere, her other goal has clearly not been forgotten.
"I don't see Lindsey giving up anytime soon, that's for sure, she'll try another avenue," said 1992 Olympic champion Kerrin Lee-Gartner, who thinks Vonn would have finished around 20th had her wish to race the men at Lake Louise been granted.
"She's doing this for her but with that she also appreciates what it'll do for skiing in North America and the United States. People know who she is but they don't really understand the depth of her greatness."
U.S. women's head coach Alex Hoedlmoser agrees with Lee-Gartner. The Austrian, himself a former national giant slalom champion, says Vonn's commitment sets her apart from her competitors.
"It's obvious that she has put all of her energy into the sport in the last five years," Hoedlmoser explained to CNN. "That makes her special. She's living for her sport. She's prepared like nobody else going into races. That makes a difference."
After her new-season successes, the Minnesota native now has a career total of 57 victories, pushing her ahead of Switzerland's Vreni Schnieder and into second on the all-time win list.
Only legendary Austrian Annemarie Moser-Proll remains ahead of Vonn, on 62 career victories, a tally that, barring injury, surely she will surpass.
"Moser-Proll was an unbelievable champion and won a lot of races at that time," added Hoedlmoser. "But there wasn't the same competition then.
"The sport is getting more complex, it is harder to break those records. I think she [Vonn] is the greatest so far and it is a matter of time before she breaks those records."
Vonn, a four-time Alpine World Cup champion, lobbied the FIS to race the men at Lake Louise as it is one of the few meets in the skiing calendar where males and females compete on the same slopes.
But a diktat from the sport's governing body ruled "one gender is not entitled to participate in the races of the other."
"It's not like I'm getting 20th every day and saying I want to race the men," Vonn told reporters in Canada. "I try to let my skiing speak for itself.
"I don't know exactly where I'd stack up, but that's kind of the whole point, to see where I stand and see how much farther I can push my skiing because the men, they're skiing is the best in the world hands down. That's where I want to get my skiing to be."
A perfect illustration of Vonn's supremacy came at the venue that starts the weekend as Lake Louise, and ends it as Lake Lindsey.
"She was near-perfect the first day," Lee-Gartner explained. "On the second day she made a major mistake and it was almost disastrous, she had her tails of her skis in the net, she was almost sideways and she still won by half a second.
"It's difficult for her to maintain the elite level of focus throughout the season. For Lindsey she is very goal orientated, she feeds off any doubt whatsoever. She says it fuels her fire and makes her go."
Vonn is not alone in her quest, and she points to female golfer Anneka Sorenstam as an inspiration in her battle.
The Swede, who won 72 times on the LPGA Tour and triumphed in ten major championships, took on the men at a PGA Tour event back in 2003.
Prior to the tournament, three-time major winner Vijay Singh said Sorenstam "didn't belong" at the tournament. She eventually shot four-over-par and missed the cut, but tied for first in driving accuracy during her first round.
Vonn had previously told the New York Times: "I'd like to have one chance in my life to race against them. Annika Sorenstam did it in golf and paved the way for women. I'm not asking for World Cup points. I just want the chance to compete."
Lee-Gartner says there are plenty of male competitors on the tour who support Vonn's desire but also some who joke she should be allowed to see how she gets on against them on the notoriously treacherous Kitzbuhel track in Austria.
But, the FIS aside, there is almost total uniformity within the sport that skiing would benefit from the huge media interest any showdown would attract.
"The more I reflect on who she is, what she's done and how great it would be for this sport, in my opinion it is a marketing opportunity that FIS should be taking," Lee-Gartner added.
"I realise in Austria, Switzerland, alpine skiing is one of the premier sports they watch, they don't necessarily have an issue getting people interested in the sport.
"Anytime there's an athlete's presence and profile has surpassed the sport in that nation, which hers has in North America, I think we'd be crazy not to use that opportunity she's handing to us on a platter."
Photos: Chalet stay or chalet go now?
Photos: Chalet stay or chalet go now?
Bighorn, Revelstoke, Canada – Bighorn is an apt title for this palatial chalet on the Rainbow Range of mountains in British Columbia. It sleeps 16 and comes with its own helipad. Also included are a Teppanyaki grill, an outdoor fireplace and a hot tub with a sparkling vista.
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Casa Nova, Utah, USA – As is customary, size does matter in the United States and at Casa Nova you can sleep a small army of 25. Nestled in the Deer Valley Resort, it has four bars, as well as an oxygen bar, a 15-seat screening room, while a privately patrolled ski trail is a mere seven yards from the front door. Yours for just $125,000 a week in peak season.
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Edelweiss, Courchevel, France – Edelweiss raised the bar when it came on to the rental market in September 2012; at peak season in January it will cost you $516,000 for a 10-day stay. With its four floors, nine en-suite bedrooms and accessories that include its own nightclub (pictured), you might never want to leave if you've got deep pockets.
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Grace, Zermatt, Switzerland – Grace has everything you'd expect from a luxury chalet, with the requisite yoga room to the extensive bar, but the real selling point is the stunning views it offers of the Matterhorn.
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Tivoli Lodge, Davos, Switzerland – You can have a waterfall or air jet massage at the Tivoli Lodge, but if you bring any kids most of your time will be spent on crowd control in the chalet's indoor two-storey soft play gym that can cater for 20 children. Just bring your earplugs.
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Kernow, Verbier, Switzerland – Kernow has a plethora of ways to keep you occupied with games consoles, giant TVs, a spa, a gym and study but it is heaven for wine buffs with a purpose-built cellar that houses a private collection of over 2,500 bottles. That's a lot of vino.
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Marco Polo, Val d'Isere, France – Marco Polo has an extensive balcony complete with barbecue and heated seating but should you prefer to stay indoors a wellness center on the first floor has the prerequisite pool, hot tub and sauna complete with a full entertainment system.
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La Grand Roche, Courchevel, France – You may have come to ski but when you are off piste there are few better chalets to keep you entertained than La Grand Roche, which has a full cinema room with a 103" HD television. There is even a waterproof 42" TV in the pool area. Yours for just $120,400 a week.
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Spa, Verbier, Switzerland – Spa's spa is fitted to the highest standard of course, but perhaps the outdoor seven seater jacuzzi is a better bet with its views of the Alps? There is a Scandinavian rock sauna, therapy room and a humidification system throughout to promote restful sleep.
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Grand Corniche, Les Gets, France – On a clear day Mont Blanc will shimmer in the distance; if not, the 180 degree views from the glass sauna should suffice. There is also a slide that takes you from the fourth floor bar to the wine cellar. Perfect when you need another bottle of vintage claret.
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Chesa Falcun, Klosters, Switzerland – Chesa Falcun in the Klosters Valley has all the mod cons and comes with a personal chef and two chauffeurs, but its pièce de résistance is its covered outdoor hot tub -- perfect when the snow is falling.
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Les Anges, Zermatt, Switzerland – Despite its lush indoor decor surely the terrace at Les Anges will entice you into the crisp mountain air. With a 14-seat table and a barbecue, you might not even visit the natural stone relaxation area.
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Ormello, Courchevel, France – Ormello underwent a $1.2 million facelift in 2009 and offers 1,000 square meters of space. It has a lift to all floors, a range of spa and pool facilities, and a state-of-the-art private cinema.
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Zermatt Peak, Zermatt, Switzerland – If you fancy working out in front of a five-star view then Zermatt Peak could be just the ticket. It makes the most of its stunning views with a jacuzzi that begins in the wellness center and extends outside onto the terrace. Should you want to stay inside, three HD cinema rooms should keep you entertained.
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Trois Couronnes, Verbier, Switzerland – If you are lucky enough to be staying in the master en-suite room in Chalet B at Trois Couronnes you have a 19th century elevator that drops you right by the pool. Heated by solar and geothermal power, it also boasts an art gallery, wine cellar and banqueting hall.
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Vonn is already the most successful skier the United States has ever produced, and should she overtake Moser-Proll's record, only one person could claim to have more wins than her -- Sweden's male legend Ingemar Stenmark, on 86.
Of Vonn's quest to cross the gender boundary, Hoedlmoser said: "That's something she really wants, she sees it as the next level of ski racing. She wants to see how far up she is, that's the only goal.
"She can compete with them, it all depends on the snow preparation, what the conditions are. We have situations in training where she trains against men. She's never done it in a race situation and I think that's where she really wants to be."
Vonn is backed by the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association and now seems determined to head down legal avenues to pursue her dream of sharing a slope with the men.
Lee-Gartner added: "I'm not sure if FIS will be able to say yes because they do things in a very old fashioned way. But she's a pioneer and for the first of anything it takes a little bit longer to break the barrier down."
