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    Lindsey Vonn wins Spirit of Sport award at the 'Oscars of Sport'

    By Ben Church

    Updated 1003 GMT (1803 HKT) February 19, 2019

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    The world's greatest female ski racer Lindsey Vonn has officially retired from the sport after her final race at the World Championships in Are. Here's a look back at her glittering career.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    The world's greatest female ski racer Lindsey Vonn has officially retired from the sport after her final race at the World Championships in Are. Here's a look back at her glittering career.
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    She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002 as a 17-year-old, finishing 32nd in slalom and sixth in the combined slalom/downhill event.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    She made her Olympic debut at Salt Lake City 2002 as a 17-year-old, finishing 32nd in slalom and sixth in the combined slalom/downhill event.
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    Lindsey Kildow -- as she was then before marrying fellow skier Thomas Vonn -- won her first World Cup race with victory in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, in 2004.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Lindsey Kildow -- as she was then before marrying fellow skier Thomas Vonn -- won her first World Cup race with victory in the downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, in 2004.
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    In 2005, Vonn signed with Red Bull and began working with a completely new coaching team. She seemed set for the start of something special.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    In 2005, Vonn signed with Red Bull and began working with a completely new coaching team. She seemed set for the start of something special.
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    Any momentum from the new deal was slowed during the 2006 Olympics in Italy, though. A fall in practice resulted in a short stay in hospital. She recovered in time to compete but could only manage seventh in the Super G and eighth in the downhill events.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Any momentum from the new deal was slowed during the 2006 Olympics in Italy, though. A fall in practice resulted in a short stay in hospital. She recovered in time to compete but could only manage seventh in the Super G and eighth in the downhill events.
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    However, Vonn quickly bounced back and won the first of three straight World Cup titles in 2008 at the age of 23.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    However, Vonn quickly bounced back and won the first of three straight World Cup titles in 2008 at the age of 23.
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    Golden girl Vonn achieved her Olympic dreams in 2010. She won the Olympic downhill gold at Whistler and added bronze in the super-G.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Golden girl Vonn achieved her Olympic dreams in 2010. She won the Olympic downhill gold at Whistler and added bronze in the super-G.
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    Vonn added a fourth World Cup title in 2012, but is still behind Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of six overall crystal globes.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Vonn added a fourth World Cup title in 2012, but is still behind Annemarie Moser-Proell's record of six overall crystal globes.
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    Vonn's public profile went galactic when she dated star golfer Tiger Woods for two years between 2013 and 2015.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Vonn's public profile went galactic when she dated star golfer Tiger Woods for two years between 2013 and 2015.
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    In 2013, Vonn suffered an horrific crash at the World Championships in Austria. She underwent reconstructive knee surgery and began a long road to recovery. She attempted to return a year later, only to pull out of the 2014 Olympics after aggravating the injury again.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    In 2013, Vonn suffered an horrific crash at the World Championships in Austria. She underwent reconstructive knee surgery and began a long road to recovery. She attempted to return a year later, only to pull out of the 2014 Olympics after aggravating the injury again.
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    Injuries continued to hamper Vonn. She fractured her left knee in February 2016 in a crash during a World Cup super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra, but raced the combined event the next day before calling an end to her season.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Injuries continued to hamper Vonn. She fractured her left knee in February 2016 in a crash during a World Cup super-G race in Soldeu, Andorra, but raced the combined event the next day before calling an end to her season.
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    Vonn worked hard to get back in time to challenge for gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The American left PyeongChang with a bronze medal in the downhill but insisted she was proud to have made it through her injuries.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Vonn worked hard to get back in time to challenge for gold medals at the 2018 Winter Olympics. The American left PyeongChang with a bronze medal in the downhill but insisted she was proud to have made it through her injuries.
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    Vonn announced the current ski World Cup season would be her last. She is already the most successful woman in World Cup history with 82 victories and was chasing down Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record of 86 victories in her sights.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Vonn announced the current ski World Cup season would be her last. She is already the most successful woman in World Cup history with 82 victories and was chasing down Ingemar Stenmark's overall World Cup record of 86 victories in her sights.
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    However, a knee injury from a training crash in November meant she couldn't start her season until January. On her debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she was still struggling with knee pain.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    However, a knee injury from a training crash in November meant she couldn't start her season until January. On her debut in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, she was still struggling with knee pain.
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    After much soul-searching Vonn announced that she will retire from skiing after competing in the World Championships in Are, Sweden in February 2019. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen," she said.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    After much soul-searching Vonn announced that she will retire from skiing after competing in the World Championships in Are, Sweden in February 2019. "My body is screaming at me to STOP and it's time for me to listen," she said.
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    In her opening race at the World Championships, Vonn suffered a heavy crash and careered into safety netting. She was eventually able to ski to the bottom and said she would still compete in the downhill to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    In her opening race at the World Championships, Vonn suffered a heavy crash and careered into safety netting. She was eventually able to ski to the bottom and said she would still compete in the downhill to bring the curtain down on her glittering career.
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    Despite her damaged knees, Vonn was able to retire on a positive note. She battled back to win bronze in the downhill -- becoming the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    Despite her damaged knees, Vonn was able to retire on a positive note. She battled back to win bronze in the downhill -- becoming the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
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    The American retired four wins short of equaling Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins and the Swedish great (left) was in Are to watch Vonn's final race. "I basically begged him to come here," Vonn said.
    Photos: Skiing's speed queen
    The American retired four wins short of equaling Stenmark's record of 86 World Cup wins and the Swedish great (left) was in Are to watch Vonn's final race. "I basically begged him to come here," Vonn said.
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    Lindsey Vonn Are downhill Lindsey Vonn nee Kildow Turin OlympicsLindsey Vonn nee Kildow Lake LouiseLindsay Vonn red bullLindsey Vonn 2006 olympicsLindsey Vonn over crystal globeLindsey Vonn Vancouver goldLindsey Vonn 2012Tiger Woods lindsey vonnLindsey Vonn 2014vonn sndora stretcherLindsey Vonn 2018Lindsey Vonn World Cup Ingemar STenmarkLindsey Vonn skiing retirement injury World Cup spt intlvonn retirement Lindsey Vonn crash world championships Sweden 2Lindsey vonn final raceLindsey Vonn Are downhill

    Story highlights

    • Lindsey Vonn awarded Spirit of Sport Award
    • Novak Djokovic named World Sportsman of the Year
    • Simone Biles announced as World Sportswoman of the Year

    (CNN)US ski star Lindsey Vonn picked up the Spirit of Sport award at the "Oscars of Sport" Monday -- on a night where Novak Djokovic and Simone Biles were also recognized for their achievements.

    Vonn, who retired as the greatest female skier in history earlier this month, was awarded the accolade at the 2019 Laureus World Sports Awards in Monaco for her success and dedication to her sport.
      Visit CNN.com/Sport for more news, features and video
      Injuries had blighted the latter stages of her career but Vonn managed to bow out in impressive fashion earlier this month at the World Championships in Are.
      By winning downhill bronze in her final race, she became the oldest woman to secure a medal at a world championships and the first female racer to medal at six world championships.
      Read More
      She finished her career with 82 World Cup victories to sit second on the all-time list behind Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark.
      Vonn poses with her Laureus Spirt of Sport Award.
      Vonn poses with her Laureus Spirt of Sport Award.
      READ: Lindsey Vonn -- Boyfriend P.K. Subban arranges G.O.A.T. tribute

      Djokovic & Biles

      The "Oscars of Sport" honor the greatest and most inspirational athletes from the last calendar year.
      On a glamorous night in Monaco, Djokovic was announced as the World Sportsman of the Year -- fending off competition from World Cup star Kylian Mbappe and marathon man Eliud Kipchoge.
      The Serbian tennis ace won Wimbledon and the US Open last year and has now joined Olympic legend Usain Bolt as a four-time winner of the Laureus accolade.
      "Last year was an incredible season for me, returning from injury to win Wimbledon and the US Open is something I'll remember forever," Djokovic said after receiving his award.
      Despite being overlooked for the Sportsman of the Year award, Kipchoge was handed the Exceptional Achievement Award for his record breaking marathon success.
      Meanwhile, US gymnast Biles was named World Sportswoman of the Year after her record breaking performance at the world championships last year.
      The 21-year-old, winner of the same Laureus award in 2017, won four gold, one silver and one bronze medal in Doha, Qatar.
      Novak Djokovic was named World Sportsman of the Year.
      Novak Djokovic was named World Sportsman of the Year.
      Biles was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year.
      Biles was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year.
      READ: Is it time for Real Madrid to say goodbye to Brazilian Marcelo?
      Elsewhere, France became the first national football team to win a second Laureus World Team of the Year Award, following on from its success at the 2018 World Cup in Russia
        Tennis star Naomi Osaka went home with the World Breakthrough of the Year Award, while golf legend Tiger Woods won the World Comeback of the Year Award.
        Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger received the Laureus Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to football. The Frenchman managed the Gunners for 22 years, famously going an entire English Premier League season unbeaten.