ARE (SWEDEN) • Lindsey Vonn's body may have told her it was time to quit skiing, but the American said it was her heart that won her a final medal of her career as she took bronze in the women's downhill at the World Championships in Are, Sweden yesterday.

The 34-year-old, who is the most successful female skier ever, announced earlier in the week that she would quit the sport after yesterday's race, and she rolled back the clock to give the crowd something to remember her by.

"It was such an emotional day for me - it was really hard to control my nerves," Vonn said following the race, which was won by Slovenia's Ilka Stuhec, with Corinne Suter of Switzerland claiming silver.

"I was definitely the most nervous I've been in my entire life, and all I wanted to do was finish strong and have the ending that I've been dreaming of for my career."

Aside from the medal, the highlight for Vonn was being greeted by Swedish skiing great Ingemar Stenmark, who presented her with a bouquet of flowers after her final run and whose record of 86 World Cup victories she spent her career chasing.

"He's a man of few words, but he said I skied great, and those are special words coming from someone who has won a total of three Olympic and eight World Championship medals," Vonn said.

Her hopes of a successful swansong had been hampered by a knee injury which forced her to call an abrupt halt to what should have been her farewell tour of the ski circuit.

"It's (like) a gold medal for me, no one can take it away, I skied my heart out," she said.

"I'm barely making it through with my body the way it is, but I think I skied with all heart today, and that's what willed me down to get a medal."

REUTERS