Lindsey Vonn back on the podium after historic World Cup downhill win

4 days ago 12

Lindsey Vonn is backmost connected the podium connected Saturday aft a World Cup downhill contention that is separated by a razor-thin borderline of 0.24 seconds.

One time aft becoming the oldest victor of a World Cup downhill, the 41-year-old American finished 2nd successful a contention connected Saturday successful St. Moritz, Switzerland.

After winning the season's opening downhill by astir a afloat 2nd connected Friday, Vonn was beaten by lone 1 racer this time: Emma Aicher of Germany was 0.24 seconds faster.

Vonn attributed a mistake to landing a leap midway down her tally for the gap, erstwhile she astir mislaid her equilibrium for an instant and leaned heavy connected her near limb to get backmost up.

"I'm a small spot bushed from yesterday, determination was a batch of emotion," Vonn told Swiss broadcaster RTS. "I thought I skied beauteous good connected top, past I was conscionable retired of balance, I fell connected my hip. Yeah, didn't skis the bottommost the mode I wanted to."

Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic champion from Italy, finished third, 0.29 behind, and Breezy Johnson, the American satellite champion, was fourth, 0.40 back.

Vonn, who is preparing for the Milan Cortina Olympics, went into archetypal presumption with her tally down the sun-drenched Corviglia course. But the 22-year-old Aicher came down adjacent and rapidly pushed Vonn retired of the leader's seat.

Vonn returned to skiing last play aft astir six years of retirement — pursuing a partial replacement country connected her close knee, which included inserting 2 pieces of titanium.

The three-time Olympic medalist told CBS Sunday Morning in March that she "never thought" she would beryllium talking astir going to the Olympics again. Just talking astir heading to Italy means she is "already winning," she said.

"I volition beryllium astatine a disadvantage," Vonn said. "I americium 40, and astatine that clip adjacent twelvemonth I volition beryllium 41. But I cognize my skiing is there. I deliberation I'm really skiing amended present than I was past fewer years of my career."

Vonn's results are shaping up to marque her a apical medal contender astatine the Olympics — and capable to vie with skiers fractional her age. Women's Alpine skiing astatine the Feb. 6-22 Winter Games volition beryllium contested astatine Cortina d'Ampezzo, wherever Vonn holds the grounds of 12 World Cup wins.

Vonn registered the apical velocity of 64 mph connected the apical section; accrued her velocity to 68 mph astatine the bottommost and flew a monolithic 41 yards disconnected a leap toward the extremity of her run

Vonn besides clocked the fastest clip successful the last assemblage — a motion of her accrued fittingness this season. She said earlier this week that she added 12 pounds of musculus during dry-land grooming implicit the summertime and followed a rigid diet.

When Vonn crossed the decorativeness enactment and saw that she was up of Goggia, Vonn celebrated, reasoning that she had won. She fto retired a scream, punched the aerial with 1 of her poles and past raised her arms implicit her head, shaking her caput successful evident disbelief.

It was Vonn's 140th podium effect and it came successful a record-breaking 410th World Cup race. Former Austrian skier Renate Götschl held the erstwhile grounds with 409 races.

It was Aicher's 3rd World Cup triumph and 2nd successful downhill. She's a uncommon all-around skier susceptible of being competitory successful each 4 disciplines — similar Vonn astatine the tallness of her career.

Aicher besides finished connected the podium successful a slalom this season, placing 3rd successful Levi, Finland.

Vonn could purpose for different triumph successful a super-G successful St. Moritz connected Sunday — successful a contention that chap American standout Mikaela Shiffrin is besides expected to vie in.

Shiffrin has not been racing downhill.