Alpine Skiing

Up close, Lindsey Kildow’s honey-colored hair, high cheekbones, and sprinkling of freckles give her the look of a Ralph Lauren model: all-American, yet somehow aristocratic. But seen from a distance – say, the length of a ski slope – Kildow resembles nothing so much as a rocket. After Kildow appeared in 2002 Olympic Alpine ski events as a 17-year-old, she focused all of her energies into building speed and consistency. The effort paid off with two U.S. National Championships, plus numerous medals at the Junior World Championships and World Cup events. Now, coming into the 2005/06 World Cup season ranked sixth overall – and third in Super G – she’s a likely contender for the podium not only in Torino, but also at the World Cup finals that will follow the Games

“The best shape ever”

Born in 1984, Kildow spent her earliest years in a state not especially known for mountains: Minnesota. But with a grandfather and a father who had been competitive skiers, little Lindsey started carving the local hill at age three. "I began racing at seven, and by nine I was doing international events. Eventually, my family moved to Vail so I could really ski," she remembers.

The youngster improved quickly. At age 14, Kildow became the only female American ever to win Italy’s Trofeo Topolino contest – dubbed "junior-Junior Worlds" – and her name was entered into the "Golden Book of Champions" alongside girls who had grown up to win the World Cup Overall title.

In her initial year of top-level competition, 15-year-old Kildow took the podium at several NorAm events. Her first International Ski Federation (FIS) victory came in 2001, and that same year she also captured a Super Series win, as well as the bronze in Combined at the U.S. National Championships.

When Kildow was named to the U.S. Olympic Ski Team in 2002, she was still under the radar, but a sixth-place finish in Combined put her on everyone’s screen. Her progress continued in 2003 with a silver at the Junior World Championships, as well as a silver and a bronze at U.S. Nationals. Her breakout season was arguably 2003/04, when she won two golds at the U.S. Championships, took two medals at Junior Worlds, and made her first World Cup podium.

Then the 2004/05 season was even more exciting, as Kildow captured her first gold in a World Cup race and attended her first World Championships. She logged 13 top-five finishes in World Cup and World Championship events, standing on the podium six times, and she ended the season ranked sixth overall in the world. Determined to capitalize on the momentum as she headed into an Olympic year, Kildow spent the summer training intensely in Oregon and Chile. The result? "I think I’m in the best shape ever," says the athlete confidently.

“Totally psyched”

As she launches into the season, Kildow credits a new personal trainer, as well as her experience at Worlds, with her mental and physical readiness. "Last time I went to the Olympics, I was basically there for the experience, and it was really fun," she says. "This year is different. There will be a lot of pressure. But I’ve learned a lot, and hopefully I’ll be ready."

Because Olympic qualification is based on World Cup results, the she won’t officially know whether she’s been named to the U.S. Olympic Team until just before the Games begin; but insiders consider her participation to be a foregone conclusion, predicting that she’ll especially shine in the Super G and Downhill events. "I’m totally psyched about Downhill," Kildow says with a big smile.

When the Olympics are over, there’ll be no time to rest. The World Cup season continues, and Kildow will be in hot pursuit of her ultimate goal: World Cup Overall Champion. "I would love to win that title. It’s an amazing thing to accomplish," Kildow acknowledges. The women expected to be Kildow’s toughest Olympic competition – Croatia’s Janica Kostelic, Austria’s Renata Goetschl, and Sweden’s Anja Paerson – have already experienced that thrill.

In the meantime, training and competition leave Kildow little opportunity for leisure activities, but long flights give her time to indulge her passion for reading, and she’s got episodes of her favorite show, Law & Order, loaded on her computer. She also studies German, much to the delight of European fans, who revere talented skiers. "I went to a restaurant in Austria the other night, and all of the waitresses knew who I was," she recounts, slightly incredulous. "But the best was when I was at a border crossing and couldn’t find my passport. The guard took one look at me and said, ‘You’re Lindsey Kildow, aren’t you?’ He just waved me through!"

Maybe, by the time the Olympics are over, Lindsey Kildow will become a household name in her home country, too.