Vonn.....purpose built to be a speed skier, has had the benefit of a fairly weak field around her for years, and the injuries have taken their toll. Also a LOT of questions about the type of conditioning and training that RedBull and her boyfriend are managing. To be blunt, when her ex-husband was managing her program, she was highly focused one one thing. Winning every possible speed race on the calendar. She was NOT focused on being a "hottie" and on what many refer to as her "beach body." She has dropped a lot of muscle mass, and is not doubt VERY fit, but is it the the best kind of fitness to chase Stenmark's record?
The clock is ticking. I agree 100% that a BIG part of Stuhec's success are her skis. Not everybody agrees. A number of folks who I think know their stuff are convinced that the skis are absolute rockets. I know that Stuhec's skiing shot forward once Maze and her boyfriend/coach exited the picture and quit bleeding the Slovenian federation dry. Not an accident that as a team they have shot forward. But the kind of gains that she made are not close to normal. Skis? hat else could it be? Her conditioning?
So now Vonn has Stuhec to deal with, and she will have Lara Gut back and healthy. Gut can contend for almost every speed race on the calendar. Sofia Goggia is rumored to be embarking on a serious fitness regime through the summer and fall. I would also assume that Atomic will put huge resources into her setup. Last season Goggia skied on the edge a lot, and ran out of gas at the bottom of many tracks. Fix those two things, and she's looking at winning.
So, my take is that we have a diminished Vonn, and an older Vonn. Still has the best skis on the planet. But 2-3 years ago, if she skied cleanly, the odds were that she would not just podium, she would win. We'll see how these group all looks at Lake Louise, and we'll have a better feel for things. I suspect that we will see LV podium a ton. Beating Stenmark's record is a much better possibility now that she is extending her career for another year {two years to do it}, but I'm with Frankly. I'm not ready to bet on the record.....not without more intel. I do know that she is absolutely driven to get the record.
So.....Best ski racer ever? That's so hard to judge. Best female speed skier ever? Yes, no question. But when you get into different eras, and different everything, it's hard to compare. You have some great ones who had short careers, for example.
People mention Shiffrin. She started racing a FULL WC schedule at 16. I seriously doubt if she will still be competing at 30, let alone at Vonn's age. And MS has been very fortunate on the injury front. Just the one minor knee injury. Odds are that we'll see her miss a season at some point. Mancuso started at the same age, and she has basically been "broken" for quite some time. She's entirely different. Maybe the best woman athlete ever on the USST, but without LV's over the top drive.
I put almost zero faith into any of Outside's ski writing, or actually ANY writing about LV the rockstar. Knowing a bit about her, since she was about 11-12, I chuckle at a lot of it.
Also agree that Laurenne Ross is a damn good skier, and a real character. She is not the future of the US ski team at her age. And yes, she signed with Volkl as they paid her some money when nobody else would. Whether the skis are doing much for her is another issue.
The future of the women's speed team? Breezy Johnson. And Nellie Rose Talbot. Remember that name. A 1999, injured this fall at LL, and out for the season with an ACL. I would bet money that she will end up 2018 as the top rated DH, SG, and GS 1999 in the world. Incredible talent, combined with amazing work ethic and drive.
Lot of good young guys on the way up. Hope they are managed the right way. My favorite is Sam Morse, who I have watched ski since he was about three. That guy is built like a downhiller. Smart, strong, and an incredibly hard worker. This year's world juniors DH champ.
Best ever......Hirscher is making a hell of a case for himself. He probably gets my vote, at least in this era. He tells his friends that he will be done competing once he is 30. So we better enjoy the next two seasons. He just turned 28.
My $.02