Vonn does the triple

Unstoppable US skiing star Lindsey Vonn pledged her support to the next generation of young athletes today as she announced she would be returning as a Youth Olympic Games (YOG) Ambassador for the third time. Lindsey will assume the role for the Lausanne 2020 Winter YOG. The announcement by the International Olympic Committee was held in St Moritz – which will host the luge, skeleton, bobsled and speed skating events in January 2020.

Lindsey was competing in this weekend’s St Moritz FIS World Cup ahead of the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 where she will make her Olympic come-back. The Olympic champion made time after the competition to meet with local Swiss skiers aiming to make the grade for Lausanne 2020 and to speak with media about her excitement to once again be part of the YOG.

Vonn has been a Youth Olympic Games Ambassador since the inaugural event in Innsbruck in 2012 and is a passionate advocate for youth sports. The global superstar has personally attended every YOG edition to date, using her platform to encourage the young athletes and to inspire fans at home via social media.

Lindsey spoke of her delight of her continued Youth Olympic role: “I have been a part of this event since the beginning. It is so important that we support young athletes to discover where sport can take them. I have a platform to promote the great work the IOC is doing for young people and hope to inspire more people to enjoy sport and to stay in sport. Lausanne is a city with such Olympic history and with its amazing venues and beautiful scenery, I can’t wait to be involved.”

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “Lindsey is an inspirational athlete. Her dedication to sport, to giving her best and to helping the next generation make her a true champion.” 

Lausanne 2020 Chairman Patrick Baumann said: “It is a great honour for Lausanne 2020 to have Lindsey Vonn as the first Ambassador and to announce her in St Moritz, the birthplace of winter sport. As an internationally-renowned skier, she has a lot to share with young athletes and we are looking forward to having her by our side on the road to Lausanne 2020.”

Vonn, the 2010 Olympic downhill champion, is trying to make history this season as she chases Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time record of 86 World Cup wins. She already holds the women’s record with 77, and hopes to regain her Olympic title in 2018.

The third edition of the Winter YOG takes place in Lausanne 10 to 22 January 2020.

The International Olympic Committee is a not-for-profit independent international organisation made up of volunteers, which is committed to building a better world through sport. It redistributes more than 90 per cent of its income to the wider sporting movement, which means that every day the equivalent of 3.4 million US dollars goes to help athletes and sports organisations at all levels around the world.

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