Are, Sweden – Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn produced an inspired wire-to-wire giant slalom victory in Are on Friday to mathematically secure an American record fourth Audi FIS Alpine World Cup overall alpine ski racing title.

“I don’t know what to say, I just wanted to have two really aggressive runs today. I had nothing to lose,” said Vonn. “I’m just having fun. My sister is here and my teammates are so cool cheering me on in the finish. It’s amazing to have so much support. I love my teammates. Only a couple of more races left and we will get to celebrate this year.”

“The overall was pretty much a done deal but I think the giant slalom win is absolutely huge,” added U.S. Ski Team coach Alex Hoedlmoser. “I am just thinking back to three years ago when she was not even considered a top-10 skier in GS. It’s something we have talked about for a long, long time. She just needed to believe she can do it on race day.”

The Vail, Colo. resident and Minnesota native’s insurmountable lead of 554 points achieved on Friday boosted her point total to a 1,808, another U.S. record. The previous U.S. record of three overall World Cup titles was set by Phil Mahre, and Vonn also usurped Croatian Janica Kostelic, Swiss Vreni Schneider and Austrian Petra Kronberger, all of whom also claim three overall titles. Only Austria’s Annemarie Moser-Proell has more overall World Cup titles than Vonn with six. Vonn missed the 2011 overall title when she lost to friend Maria Hoefl-Riesch by three points when the final race of the season, a giant slalom, was canceled.

“It’s definitely a lot less stressful to clinch the overall title before the finals,” confirmed Vonn. “Last year at the [Lenzerheide] finals, I might have lost a few years of my life.”

It was the 15th World Cup title of Vonn’s career and her third of the season with her victories in downhill and super combined already locked. Friday’s win also notched Vonn’s 11th World Cup victory of the winter to tie her own single-season record she set in 2009, and the 52nd of her career.

In other American highlights from Friday’s race, Squaw Valley, Calif.’s Julia Mancuso finished eighth and Resi Stiegler, of Jackson Hole, Wyo., crossed the finish line in 13th for three Americans in the top 15. Marie-Michèle Gagnon, of Lac-Etchemin, Quebec, finished 25th as the only Canadian to finish Friday’s race, but was heartbroken to miss out on the World Cup finals in giant slalom by one place and just two points.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Are, Sweden – Mar. 9, 2012
Women’s Giant Slalom