The Princess of Asturias Award to Lindsey Vonn

Former world cup skier María José Rienda, RFEDI-spainsnow president May Peus and the Spanish Olympic sailing gold medalist in Barcelona 92 and Atlanta 96, Theresa Zabell, who proposed American skier Lindsey Vonn to qualify for the Princess of Asturias Award for Sports 2019, have highlighted the importance of this prize for winter sports promotion in Spain.

Lindsey Vonn, retired this year from the professional Alpine skiing competition after 19 seasons and 82 victories in the FIS World Cup, has eight medals in World Championships (two gold, three silver and three bronzes) and three in the Olympic Games (one gold and two bronzes).

María José Rienda, former world cup skier with 11 podiums and 6 victories and nowadays president of the Spanish High Council of Sports (Consejo Superior de Deportes) said after knowing the award that she was "proud that she has been granted such a recognized and prestigious award from our country. She has been a reference sportswoman, very competitive and versatile in many disciplines of alpine skiing. A media and sport icon, which with perseverance and work has remained for many years in the top positions.”

Theresa Zabell explained that "10 years ago this award was not granted to a woman but it is also because Vonn deserves it because it has all the characteristics of a great person, from maximum competitiveness to total altruism."

The president of the RFEDI, May Peus, has commented on this award stating that from the federation "we appreciate very positively that this award has been granted to a woman. Lindsey Vonn brings together all those sports values of this recognition. From the federation we consider that the election of Vonn, a mythical skier, reinforces the winter sports in Spain. In addition, it will help to promote the women's sport that we carry out from the federation with the 'Woman and Snow' program. If you doubt, a motivation for our skiers to achieve high performance."

Release Courtesy of Rfedi