"Absurd, it wasn't a fair comparison" - When Lindsey Vonn explained why she couldn't be compared to Michael Phelps

The three-time Olympic medalist, Lindsey Vonn is one of the most decorated alpine skiers. In her first memoir, “Rise: My Story,” she had reflected on her thoughts as she faced comparison with Michael Phelps after winning her Olympic gold medal.

Vonn has 82 World Cup wins along with eight World Championship medals. She won her first Olympic gold medal during the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver and became the first American woman to clinch the top spot in women’s downhill competition.

Her memoir “Rise: My Story” was released on January 11, 2022. Through the book, the legendary alpine skier reflected on her stories revolving around her skiing career, the challenges she faced while fighting depression, and her mindset that made her unique in both her personal and professional life.

Along with these perspectives, she also shed light on the comparison she had faced with the swimming and Olympic legend. She mentioned via her memoir:

“When I won the gold, again the press started with the Michael Phelps thing, which was a lot of pressure and also kind of absurd. It wasn’t a fair comparison because, for one thing, Michael Phelps is superhuman, but also, skiing isn’t the same as swimming.”

She continued:

“Michael Phelps could win the one-hundred-meter butterfly, the two-hundred-meter butterfly, the two-hundred-meter freestyle, the two-hundred-meter freestyle relay. He could dominate in the same event for different distances. In skiing, we have separate events.”

“None of them are repeats, and none of them are the same. I mean, I wish we had a twenty-second downhill, a forty-second downhill, a sixty-second downhill. . . . That would be great, and I think I would have more medals if that were the case. But unfortunately, that isn’t the way it works.”

In 2024, Vonn announced her return to competitive alpine skiing after a break of almost six years. She was able to return due to her successful partial knee replacement surgery.

In 2022, Lindsey Vonn and Michael Phelps were inducted into the U.S Olympic Hall of Fame along with other iconic personalities.

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Lindsey Vonn on how her experience gives her an advantage as compared to other skiers

Lindsey Vonn at the Audi FIS Alpine Ski World Cup - Women's Super G - Source: Getty

Lindsey Vonn is one of the most successful and decorated competitive alpine skiers. She has 20 World Cup globes, and holds multiple records. During an interview with CBS Sunday Morning, she shared how having a lot of experience helps her in having an edge as compared to other competitors.

“I think my knowledge is one of the most important skills that I have that I can use to my advantage; it's kind of like Tom Brady being a quarterback and he knows all the plays, and he doesn't have to think about it's just second nature to him. Racing in the Olympics is second nature to me, they'll be my fifth Olympics,” she shared [15:51 onwards]

Lindsey Vonn is aiming to conclude her decorated alpine skiing career with Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.