Lindsey Vonn drops 1-word reaction as Paula Moltzan makes career-first individual podium at 2025 Ski World Championship

Lindsey Vonn expressed her thoughts as Paula Moltzan secured the first World Championships medal of her career during Thursday's Giant Slalom race in Saalbach, Austria. Vonn had earlier competed in three events on her return to the World Championships but didn't win any medals.

Moltzan edged Thea Louise Stjernesund by just 0.01 seconds for the first individual world podium of her career. She posted the third fastest time in the first GS run, and despite being a little slower in the second, she managed to win the USA's fourth medal of the 2025 World Championships, the highest the nation has won in history at a single edition.

Moltzan's U.S. teammate Lindsey Vonn was delighted over the result and wrote in an Instagram stories post on Thursday:

"Yesss @paulamoltzan 💪💪💪💪."

Lindsey Vonn's Instagram story

Italy's Federica Brignone won the race in 2:22.71 to become the oldest female skier in history to win a World Championships medal, while Alice Robinson won silver, becoming the first skier from New Zealand to make the World Championships podium.

Meanwhile, Vonn endured a difficult campaign on her return to the World Championships after six years. She crashed in the Super-G race before earning a 21st place finish in the downhill discipline. The 40-year-old was paired with AJ Hurt for the newly introduced combined event and placed 16th.

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"It hurts" - Lindsey Vonn on facing criticism over lack of results since comeback

Alpine skiing: World Championships - Source: Getty

Lindsey Vonn came out of retirement in December 2024 and has failed to make a podium, both in the World Cup and at the World Championships in Saalbach, where she was nowhere close to her best. The 40-year-old has a best finish of fourth since return and has been under fire from a section of the fans.

"I’m not gonna lie, these past few weeks have been tough," she wrote in an Instagram post. "I love skiing and that’s the only reason I came back to this sport… but there have been so many negative voices."

"People who don’t believe in me. People who say I’m too old and slow. People who question my character. People who tell me to move over because my time is up….I know they are only a few voices out of many…. But it still hurts. I try to be strong, but I’m not always strong. I am human."

However, the 40-year-old is not giving up and has vowed to continue working for her dreams. She will now return to action in the World Cup circuit and aims to finish her career at the 2026 Winter Olympics.