The amazing Lindsey Vonn won the blue riband of the Winter Olympics as she crushed the opposition to take the Downhill gold medal in Vancouver.

On a day when many of her rivals found the icy track at Whistler Mountain precarious to negotiate, the peerless 25-year-old American produced an imperious run to win by more than half a second from fellow American Julia Mancuso, with Austria's Elisabeth Goergl taking the bronze.

Vonn, who had been struggling with injury in the build-up to the Olympics, said: “It's one of the most incredible moments of my life.”

Now Vonn has less than a month to wait to see if she is also the winner of the 2010 Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year Award, which will be announced in Abu Dhabi on March 10. Vonn is one of the six Nominees for the Award, along with two-time Laureus winner Serena Williams, swimmers Federica Pellegrini and Britta Steffen, and athletes Shelly-Ann Fraser and Sanya Richards.

Laureus World Sports Academy member Franz Klammer, who himself produced one of the great moments of Downhill skiing to win the men’s gold medal in Innsbruck in 1976, said: “Lindsey Vonn is a fantastic talent. Not only is she a brilliant Downhill and Super-G racer, but she has shown amazing consistency over the last two years.”

The Laureus World Sports Awards, which recognise sporting achievement during the period January 1 - December 31, 2009, are recognised as the premier honours on the international sporting calendar. The winners, as voted by the Laureus World Sports Academy, the ultimate sports jury, made up of 46 of the greatest sportsmen and sportswomen of all time, will be unveiled during a televised Awards Ceremony staged in Abu Dhabi.

Lindsey Vonn earned nomination for this year’s Awards after a brilliant 2009 in which she proved herself to be one of the greatest skiers of all time after winning her second straight overall World Cup title and taking two gold medals in the World Championships in Val d’Isere in Downhill and Super-G. She also won World Cup titles in Downhill and Super-G disciplines. Her record-breaking year had already made her the most successful American women’s skier, even before she went to Vancouver.

Before Whistler, she had already started the current 2009/10 season in brilliant form, winning five out of the six Downhill races in which she had competed.

The 2010 Laureus World Sports Awards will be supported by host partner Aabar Investments PJSC. Abu Dhabi, the capital city of the United Arab Emirates, offers a fascinating combination of the old and the new; a blend of Arabian hospitality and mystique where a mixture of culture and tradition come together against a backdrop of the most modern world-class infrastructure. Abu Dhabi is developing a reputation as a leading International sporting venue. The Laureus World Sports Awards is the latest high profile sports event to be staged in Abu Dhabi. Last year FIFA chose Abu Dhabi to stage football’s FIFA Club World Cup UAE Championship 2009/2010. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship and Abu Dhabi International Triathlon are now highlights of the sporting calendar in the city.