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Vonn won't 'lose sleep' if she fails to break Stenmark record

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Lindsey Vonn insists she will not "lost any sleep" if she does not surpass Ingemar Stenmark's overall record of FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup victories before retirement.

The American great holds the most wins among female skiers on 82 but is four shy of the benchmark set by Stenmark.

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This month Vonn outlined her plans to retire after the upcoming 2018-19 season leaving her a tough task to achieve her goal.

Vonn says that she has made peace with the fact she may not top Stenmark's effort, which only makes her more confident that she can.

"I don't ignore it [the record] by any means and it's still my focus but I'm not going to lose sleep if I don't break it," she told reporters at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Foundation Gold Medal Gala.

"I know that I've accomplished a lot in my career and I'm proud of it and I'm proud of myself and I feel that I don't have anything to prove anymore. 

"But, at the same time, that record is pretty incredible and I'm going to go out this season and try to win as many races as I can but I've accepted that if I don't break it I'll be fine and that makes me that much more confident that I will break it.

"I still want to break the record and I still have things I want to accomplish but I think it's important for me personally to understand that if I don't break the record, my career is still amazing and I can't take that for granted. 

"The dream is still alive and I'm still hoping for it, still gunning for it but I am happy with everything I've accomplished so far."

Vonn added that her decision to step away from the sport is motivated by the toll a series of serious injuries has had on her body.

"I just physically got to a point where it's not really making a lot of sense anymore," she added. 

"I've had some pretty brutal crashes and injuries and I've always come back and fought my way through but I think it's time I appreciate what I've accomplished but take the next step and try to open a new chapter in my life and I think I'm ready for that."

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