Lindsey Vonn isn’t accustomed to this type of publicity. She became tabloid news lately, linked to a romantic relationship with Tiger Woods.
Vonn denies the relationship. What she doesn’t deny is she wants to get back on top as the best skier in the world. But right now that tag clearly belongs to Tina Maze of Slovenia.
Dominant season for Maze
Maze has seven victories and an amazing 17 podiums in the past four months this season on the World Cup Tour where she has racked up 1,694 points. Second place Maria Hoefl-Riesch (Germany) has 806 points and Vonn is third with 740.
But Vonn is hoping to nudge Maze out of the spotlight at this week’s World Championships at Schladming, Austria.
“The world championships are coming and I definitely have the feeling I can turn my season around,” Vonn said in a Reuters story.
An Olympic champion, Vonn has always proven she can handle adversity. But how will the Tiger Woods rumors impact her showing this week?
Are Woods rumors a distraction?
The Woods rumors have definitely been a distraction. Vonn spent much of last week dealing with inquiries about a relationship with Woods.
Vonn, who has lucrative endorsements and celebrity status, was quick to address the rumors. But note that a statement from her publicist – Lewis Kay – neither denied or confirmed any relationship with Woods.
“Lindsey is currently in the midst of the World Cup season in Europe,” the statement read. “Her focus is solely on competing and on defending her titles and thus she will not participate in any speculation surrounding her personal life at this time.”
Here’s a stunner! Woods has not uttered a word to the media regarding any relationship with Vonn. No surprise there; that’s definitely his style. Tiger Woods has always been tight-lipped regarding his personal life for a long time, no matter what the circumstances, on or off the golf course.
Woods a serial cheater
Of course, Woods is famous for one other thing besides his golf game. He became America’s “serial cheater” when he was exposed in 2009 of having numerous hook-ups with women all over the world.
As we all know, it ended badly for Woods. His marriage to Elin Nordegren imploded privately and publicly after that infamous crash in his Florida front yard on Thanksgiving night signaled the start of this huge celebrity scandal.
They certainly have one thing in common – Tiger Woods likes to ski and that’s obviously the 29-year-old Vonn’s passion.
In December, when it was first speculated that Woods and Vonn were dating, Vonn gave this comment to the Denver Post.
“We are just friends,” Vonn said after her second World Cup downhill victory at Lake Louise, Alberta.
Vonn says that her brother, a ski instructor in Vail, was giving Tiger’s two children (Sam, 5, and Charlie, 2) ski lessons. Another report says that Lindsey Vonn was also giving the two Woods children lessons, a suggestion that makes sense if she is indeed dating Woods.
Tough World Cup season for Vonn
It had already been a difficult World Cup season for Vonn prior to the Woods rumors. She missed part of the season with an intestinal illness, which derailed any chance she had of wining the overall World Cup title, which she had done four of the past five seasons.
Vonn is hoping this week savages her season.
“I have the feeling like this is the chance for me to take back what I’ve lost this winter, you know, I lost the overall title already,” Vonn said earlier this week.
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