Lindsey Vonn weighs in on gender inequity in broadcasting at the JWSC

Before she won 82 World Cup races and 20 World Cup crystal globes, American ski racer Lindsey Vonn won a silver medal in downhill and a bronze medal in giant slalom at the 2004 FIS Junior World Ski Championships in Maribor, Slovenia (racing back then as Lindsey Kildow). That year, the U.S. bested ski-racing powerhouse Austria to win the Marc Hodler Award, given to the top nation at the Junior Worlds. (Jeffrey Harrison, Ted Ligety, and Julia Mancuso also medaled at the 2004 event.)  

One of the most influential ski racers of all time, Vonn understands the importance of promoting women in the sport of ski racing. She founded the Lindsey Vonn Foundation, which allows girls to pursue their personal and athletic goals by offering scholarships and mentorship programs across sports for both athletics and enrichment activities. Since its inception in 2015, Vonn’s foundation has distributed 356 scholarships for both sports and education totaling more than $1 million to girls in sports.  

Vonn weighed in on last week’s social media brouhaha around the women’s tech races at the 2024 Junior World Ski Championships not being livestreamed while both men’s tech races were. Lack of livestreams for women’s tech races at Junior Worlds ignites social media.

We contacted Vonn, who was skiing in St. Moritz, Switzerland, to get her take. 

Ski Racing: What did you make of the dust-up around the women’s tech races not being livestreamed at the Junior World Ski Championships, and how does this sort of thing affect women ski racers? 

Lindsey Vonn: I think it was a detrimental oversight and sent the wrong message to young women. There were different venues for men and women and limitations, assuming economic, on which venue got the camera crew. I understand their constraints, but if they had the intention of airing all races beforehand, they could have organized the races in a way that would have made it possible to stream both genders. 

SR: We interviewed Great Britain World Cup ski racer Charlie Guest about the statement from the FIS and the French Federation and she didn’t think either went far enough. Do you believe FIS should make it a requirement that gender-equitable TV coverage (or livestreaming on YouTube) is a requirement to host JWSC? 

LV: I messaged with Charlie as well, and I don’t think FIS went far enough in its statement. However, requiring JWSC to livestream all races will most likely limit an already small pool of resorts that want to host those races. There should be a clear mandate that if there are races livestreamed, then it must be both genders. There should also be an effort made by FIS to help the LOC stream the races. I do believe that although FIS didn’t go far enough in its statement, it must be recognized that FIS has its hands tied in deciding what races get streamed. The LOC is responsible for that, and maybe that needs to change.

SR: Do you think FIS is doing enough for gender equity in ski racing?  

LV: I think FIS does a lot more good than people realize, but on this specific issue at JWSC the FIS needs to take a stronger stance. The message should be clear: We support all athletes. Period.