© AFP/File/Olivier MorinNewly-crowned women's world Super-G champion Lindsey Vonn, seen here on February 02, 2009, revealed Tuesday that she was banking on a bizarre prize in current harsh economic times.
Vonn received a cow after winning a downhill here in 2005, and spurned the offer of a replacement cheque for 1,500 euros to keep the beast.
She transported the French heifer named Olympe to farmer foster parents close to her winter training base in Kirchberg, Austria.
"It was a lot of paperwork and it was 10 hours by road, she wasn't happy," the 24-year-old American said.
"But she's obviously happy now, she's had two babies."
Vonn, who is godmother to Olympe's first calf Sunny, said that while none of her family bar her husband were present in Val d'Isere, she had in fact bumped into Olympe's handlers before Tuesday's race.
"I saw the farmer here today, she said 'Great job this season', and I'm like 'That's weird, my farmer friend'."
Vonn also explained why she had spurned the cheque and kept the animal.
"In the current economy, it might be a better idea to keep the cow, it could be a good investment."
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