Lindsey Vonn stretched both arms in the air and beamed with the bright blue sky over St. Anton. “It’s a big day for me, it’s amazing! “Everything is so emotional in this atmosphere here,” said Vonn after racing back to the top of the world with sixth place in her first downhill run in six years. So with three and a half weeks before the World Cup, she sent a bold declaration of war to the competition.
“I have nothing to lose. But I know I can still improve. That’s my goal – one more step every day,” said the 40-year-old after only her second race after her comeback on ORF. The American is already taking giant steps towards her old strength – after a break of more than half a decade, with an artificial knee joint.
At the Arlberg on Saturday, Vonn wasn’t too far from achieving the big coup: she was on course for a podium until the last split, only then conceding the decisive deficit. The Vancouver Olympic champion, who last achieved a better result in her flagship discipline in March 2018 with her 43rd and so far last downhill success in the World Cup, was ultimately 58 hundredths behind winner Federica Brignone from Italy, who won a downhill for the first time.
Vonn returned from retirement this season after a six-year break and had already achieved a strong result with 14th place at the Super-G in St. Moritz. It was clear to the experts that she couldn’t have forgotten how to ski. But the fact that Vonn is ready again comes as a surprise. At the World Championships in Saalbach-Hinterglemm (February 4th to 16th), the 82-time World Cup winner could be one of the medal contenders again – especially since there is currently a lot of movement at the top of the downhill scene.
Behind Brignone, the Swiss Malorie Blanc took second place in her first World Cup downhill with start number 46 and only missed a sensational victory by seven hundredths. Ester Ledecka (Czech Republic), 2018 Super-G Olympic champion, came third, 18 hundredths behind. Former World Cup runner-up Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (Starnberg) appeared to have recovered well from her training fall in Beaver Creek and finished twelfth (0.86 seconds back). “Solid entry, solid skiing. If it fits here, then it fits everywhere, I can build on that,” said the 28-year-old. Emma Aicher (SC Mahlstetten) was eliminated like Pyeongchang Olympic champion Sofia Goggia (Italy).
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