Skier Lindsey Vonn to divorce husband, coach

Earlier this week, Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn confirmed that her husband, Thomas filed for divorce last week after four years of marriage. The divorce announcement comes as the ski season is well underway, and it is not known whether Thomas, who formerly played the role of Lindsey’s coach, scheduler, and professional adviser, will continue to be involved in her professional life and career.

The Vonns met as members of the U.S. Ski Team when Thomas began assisting with Lindsey’s coaching. The relationship soon deepened, and the couple was married in September 2007. Prior to the marriage, Lindsey and her father had a falling out. Lindsey has not commented publicly on the feud with her father, but many suspect that her relationship with Thomas is part of the reason that Lindsey and her father no longer communicate.

As Lindsey’s skiing career flourished, Thomas became an essential part of her professional life. He assisted with her coaching and coordinated the logistical details of her skiing career, leaving her able to focus solely on developing her skiing skills and techniques. As a result, she has become one of the most successful female skiers in recent history, accumulating 42 World Cup wins and three overall World Cup titles. A recent slalom win made her just the fifth female skier to complete the World Cup discipline sweep.

But most Las Vegas residents likely know Lindsey best for her emotional gold medal win in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics’ downhill ski event, which she completed despite badly bruising her shin during a training run.

Source: Star Tribune, “Lindsey Vonn getting divorced,” Pat Graham, Nov. 28, 2011