ALTENMARKT-ZAUCHENSEE, Austria — Lindsey Vonn reinforced her dominance in downhill skiing Saturday, marking another milestone in her remarkable return to the sport at age 41. Vonn captured her second World Cup downhill title of the season, edging her competitors in challenging, overcast conditions.
Clocking in at just under 67 seconds, Vonn finished the race 0.37 seconds ahead of Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, who took second. Her teammate, Jacqueline Wiles, showcased her talent by claiming third place, 0.48 seconds off the pace. Vonn’s impressive speed, reaching 81 mph, demonstrated her capability to compete at the highest level, even after undergoing significant knee surgery involving titanium implants.
After crossing the finish line, Vonn celebrated with visible joy, pumping her fist in the air and nodding her head in satisfaction. “I knew today would be a challenge,” she remarked. “It was a sprint, and I had to push everything to the limit and take some risks.”
This victory added to Vonn’s legacy, as she now holds the record for being the oldest racer to win in the 60-year history of the World Cup circuit. The triumph marked her 84th overall win, including a remarkable 45 in downhill events.
Vonn connected with her family through a video call shortly after the race, joined by her coach Aksel Lund Svindal, the 2018 Olympic champion in men’s downhill. They celebrated the success while discussing the upcoming Olympic races.
Having previously secured the Olympic downhill championship at the 2010 Vancouver Games, Vonn appears poised to contend for another gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics scheduled for February 8. The race will take place on the storied slopes at Cortina d’Ampezzo, a venue where Vonn has consistently excelled throughout her career.
Among her competitors, Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic champion, finished in 17th place, trailing Vonn by nearly a second. Corinne Suter, the defending Olympic champion, made her first appearance of the season after recovering from injuries but finished over a second behind Vonn.
The U.S. ski team showcased its strength, with five racers in the top 20. World champion Breezy Johnson finished seventh, while rookie Allison Mollin claimed a career-best 14th place. Keely Cashman also performed admirably, tying for 18th, less than a second off Vonn’s time.
The race faced a temporary delay due to a serious incident involving Austrian skier Magdalena Egger, who suffered a season-ending injury after crashing into safety nets. Reports indicated she sustained extensive damage to her right knee, including a torn ACL. Egger had previously taken second in Vonn’s season-opening downhill victory in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
Following her latest win, Vonn solidified her lead in the World Cup downhill standings, having finished second and third in earlier races this season. With 100 points awarded for Saturday’s victory, she now leads by 129 points over Germany’s Emma Aicher, who placed sixth. Vonn is on track to pursue her ninth downhill title, a decade after winning her eighth in Zauchensee.
Reflecting on her performance, Vonn noted, “I felt like my super-G skiing improved during the summer, but everything just clicked in St. Moritz from the start of the season.” The skiing star is set to compete in a super-G event on Sunday, which will feature a longer course than the downhill.
