SAM Magazine-Are, Sweden, March 11, 2009-Lindsey Vonn added yet another landmark to an already historic season for U.S. ski and snowboard competitors as she took her 21st career win in the downhill at the Audi FIS World Cup Finals. She then won her fifth super G in a row to extend her dominance of the women's tour. Her victories were the latest in a string of remarkable achievements for U.S. skiers and snowboarders over the course of this season.

Vonn's victory clinched her second consecutive overall title, marking the first time an American woman has ever won two overall crowns.
Vonn also won her second World Cup downhill title and first super G title.

Earlier this season, Vonn's super G wins and one in slalom showed her maturation as a four-event contender. Her 22 career World Cup wins, including nine this season, are tops for a U.S. woman. Her season's haul also includes gold medals in downhill and super G at the World Championships.

Among the men, Ted Ligety improved what had been a somewhat disappointing (for him) season with a bronze in GS at the World Championships and a World Cup GS victory a few weeks later.

In freestyle, aerialist Ryan St. Onge earned his sixth career World Cup victory at Deer Valley, the third time he has won there; that followed a victory in a World Cup event in Moscow. He also took the gold medal in aerials at the FIS Freestyle World Championships.

Mogul skier Hannah Kearney won three mogul events to lead the World Cup; she hadn't won since becoming World Champion in 2005.

In a tuneup for the 2010 Games, 2006 Olympic gold medalists Shaun White and Kelly Clark took to what will be the 2010 Olympic pipe Saturday to win World Cups during test events on the venues for the 2010 Games at Cypress Mountain, B.C.

Nordic competitors, though, have really outdone themselves. Nordic combined skier Billy Demong has earned four World Cup victories this season and led U.S. XC skiers to a remarkable and unprecedented five medals at the World Championships. Demong earned gold and bronze, Kikkan Randall took silver in the women cross-country sprint (the best ever for an American, man or woman, at the Worlds), and Todd Lodwick had two gold medals as well.

In women's ski jumping, Lindsey Van became her sport's first world champion, winning the jumping at the FIS Nordic Ski World Championships.The only previous U.S. jumping medal went to Anders Haugen, who earned bronze in the combined Olympcs/World Championships in 1924.

One final note. Two-time World Cup overall champion and Olympic medalist Bode Miller abandoned the World Cup tour after the World Championships. At the time, he ranked eighth in the overall standings. He had finished second twice in downhill and once in slalom. \

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