Lindsey Vonn became the first American woman to win an Olympic downhill skiing gold medal at the Vancouver Games today. Vonn, who recently graced the cover of Sports Illustrated, overcame a right shin injury that she had thought might keep her out of competition. After winning (with a time of one minute and 44.19 seconds), Vonn reportedly cried nonstop for almost two hours. “[It’s] overwhelming,” she said. “This is the best day of my life by far.” [LAT]