Lindsey Vonn goes from red carpet to drug testing

NEW YORK — Talk about your random testing.

Lindsey Vonn took an unexpected detour during her evening at an awards show – off the red carpet and into the women’s bathroom for drug testing.

The star skier was at the Council of Fashion Designers of America awards at Lincoln Center on Monday night when testers from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency escorted her to the restroom to collect a urine sample. The sample was sent to a lab and results weren’t immediately available.

USADA and Vonn’s spokesman confirmed Monday’s test, which was first reported by the New York Post.

Olympic athletes are subject to random testing and required to fill out forms notifying USADA of their whereabouts at all times.

Vonn’s spokesman, Lewis Kay, says the test wasn’t a big deal to the skier, who wore a deep V-neck white gown by Cynthia Rowley, the designer who accompanied Vonn to the event.

“She understands it is part of the job,” Kay told The Associated Press in an email Wednesday.

The CFDA awards are considered the fashion industry’s Oscars. Others attending the black-tie affair included Hillary Rodham Clinton, Jessica Chastain and Ralph Lauren.

CFDA organizers, who leave no stone unturned in the planning of their awards show, said they were unaware that Vonn had been tested.

USADA said Vonn has participated in its out-of-competition testing pool for more than 12 years. The testing program requires athletes to make themselves availablefor tests at any time, regardless of location.

“We appreciate her professionalism and for accommodating this process, which at times can be inconvenient,” USADA spokeswoman Annie Skinner said.

Vonn won the gold medal in the downhill at the Vancouver Olympics in 2010. Her 2013 season ended when she injured her knee, though she is expected to return for the 2014 Games in Russia.

Most of Vonn’s recent headlines, however, have come because she and Tiger Woods revealed they’ve been dating. They were together at a red-carpet event in New York in May, but Woods was not with Vonn at Monday’s event.