The most successful female ski racer of all time, American Lindsey Vonn, has said that she will retire at the end of the up-coming 2018-19 ski season.

The 33 year-old was not making a public announcement of her retirement as such but speaking apparently ‘in passing’ at a meeting for small businesses.

Vonn, now 33, has won 82 World Cup races, the most of any woman, and only four less than the all time record of 86 held by Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark.  Earlier in the year Vonn had said she would not retire until she’d broken Stenmark’s long-standing record.

“If I could break the record that would be amazing, if I can’t it has been a great ride and I am still the most successful female and I still think that’s something to be really proud of. So we’ll just see what happens this year,” she said.

Among her many achievements, Lindsey Vonn caused upset at the International Ski Federation when she asked to be allowed to compete against men.  The issue is still being debated several years after it was first raised.