Lindsey Vonn once again displayed her dominance in downhill skiing during the ongoing Olympic season. Securing her second World Cup downhill victory out of four races this season, Vonn, at 41 years old, showcased an impressive comeback after reconstructing her right knee with titanium implants.
The American athlete outpaced Kajsa Vickhoff Lie by 0.37 seconds under challenging, cloudy conditions in Zauchensee, Austria. Celebrating enthusiastically from the leader’s box, Vonn cheered as her teammate Jacqueline Wiles secured third place, trailing by 0.48 seconds.
Despite a shortened course that she completed in less than 67 seconds, Vonn reached speeds of 130 kph, marking one of the fastest performances by a female racer this season.
Expressing her joy, Vonn remarked, “It feels amazing. I try to enjoy every single second I am out here because it is just so fun to go fast.” Crossing the finish line with a determined expression, she clenched her right fist and nodded affirmatively.
Reflecting on her win, Vonn stated, “I knew what it was going to take to win today. It was a sprint and I had to give it everything I had, definitely had to risk a little bit.”
Vonn’s triumph further solidifies her position as the oldest race winner in the 60-season history of the World Cup circuit, with her 84th career victory and record-extending 45th downhill win. The accomplished skier, who previously claimed the Olympic downhill title at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games, is poised as a strong contender for the upcoming gold medal race at the Milan Cortina Olympics on February 8.
Notably, Vonn has excelled at the historic Cortina d’Ampezzo slope throughout her career, securing a World Cup downhill victory eight years ago where Wiles also achieved a third-place finish.
Saturday’s race witnessed the defending Olympic champion, Corinne Suter, making her season debut and trailing Vonn by over a second. The competition was momentarily halted due to an injury suffered by Austrian skier Magdalena Egger, who incurred significant damage to her right knee, including a torn ACL.
Vonn’s latest win in the World Cup downhill standings has positioned her 129 points ahead of Emma Aicher of Germany, as she aims for her ninth World Cup downhill season title, a decade after her eighth victory in Zauchensee.
Looking ahead, Vonn is set to compete in the super-G event on Sunday, which is expected to feature a longer course compared to the downhill race.
