Who is Lindsey Vonn’s Coach?

Lindsey Vonn is an American alpine skiing legend. Born on October 18, 1984 in Saint Paul, Minnesota, she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter olympics. Her two decades long career is marked by triumphs and setbacks which embodies the spirit of perseverance and determination.

Vonn discovered her love for skiing at an early age. She was raised in a family with a strong skiing history. She used to go skiing in a small ski area on the slopes of Buck Hill in her hometown St. Paul. Initially she trained the basics of skiing under her father Alan Kildow who was a competitive skier at junior level until a severe knee injury ended his career at the age of eighteen just when he was about to get into senior level.

Vonn’s list of achievements in alpine skiing are extraordinary. She won her first World Cup at the age of 20. She then went on to become one of the most accomplished alpine skiers of all time. She won a total of four overall World Cup titles, 82 World Cup victories, and three olympic medals including a gold medal. She had accomplishments in all disciplines in alpine skiing which is a rare feat.

Outside her athletic accomplishments, she has received many numerous awards and honors, including the Colorado Athlete of the Year and Skieur d’Or Award. She formally retired from competitive skiing in 2019. She won the bronze medal in the 2019 World Championships conducted in Sweden.

Lindsey Vonn”s Coaches

Lindsey Vonn had a long career spanning almost 23 years. She was trained and coached by a lot of skiing coaches throughout her career.

Alan Kildow

In her formative years Lindsey Vonn, trained under her own father Alan Kildow, who was an exceptional junior-level skier until the age of 18, when his career ended abruptly because of a serious knee Injury. He laid the foundation for her remarkable ski racing career.

Colby S. Scudder

Lindsey Vonn’s first female coach is Colby S. Scudder. Scudder was Vonn’s coach when she joined Ski Club Vail at the age of seven. She skied under “Gravity Corps” coached by Scudder.

Erich Sailer

Eric Sailer is an International coach who works with the United States Ski Coaches Association. He is known for pioneering and popularising summer ski training in North america. He was inducted into the U.S. National Ski Hall of Fame in 2005. Sailer was the first formal coach of Lindsey Vonn. Sailer also coached Vonn’s father Alan Kildow. As of 2024, he is 98 years old.

Thomas Vonn

Thomas Vonn was Lindsey Vonn's first boyfriend and husband. They married in 2007 and separated four years later in 2011. During their time together, Thomas Vonn who is an Olympic Ski racer became Lindsey Vonn’s coach. Under his training she won the gold medal in the downhill in 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver. Under his guidance, Lindsey Vonn won four overall World Championships. After their divorce, Thomas stopped coaching Lindsey. He currently works at West Mountain where he coaches 16 junior level racers who could potentially become future olympians for the U.S Team.

Jeff Fergus

Lindsey Vonn, after being divorced was left without a coach as Thomas Vonn, Her husband, was also her personal coach. She consulted the U.S team for a personal coach and they chose Jeff Fergus. Fergus was a member of the U.S. speed team for almost six years. In 2018, Fergus and Chris Knight developed the International Ski Racing Academy and coached Olympic and elite-level skiers.

Chris Knight

Chris Knight is a well-known and reputed female skiing coach and has worked with Lindsey Vonn. He has also worked with other Olympic Skiers like Alice Robinson and Mikaela Shiffrin. Chris Knight was coaching Lindsey Vonn after her prime and between many setbacks like injuries but Knight managed to facilitate an incredible comeback for Vonn. During his time as her coach, Vonn managed to win 17 victories and broke many records and it was during this time Vonn cemented herself as an alpine ski racer.