St. Moritz (Switzerland) (AFP) – Lindsey Vonn narrowly missed out on a second straight World Cup downhill win at St. Moritz on Saturday as the American was pipped to victory by Germany’s Emma Aicher. Vonn briefly looked on track for a second win in as many days after knocking Sofia Goggia off top spot, but Aicher powered down the sun-drenched Corviglia course to claim her third World Cup triumph. Aicher beat Vonn by 0.24 seconds as Goggia, the 2018 Olympic champion from Italy, rounded out the podium.
The 41-year-old Vonn became the oldest skier to win a World Cup race in Friday’s downhill at the Swiss resort, her first victory since 2018 — and first in her comeback with titanium implants in her right knee. Vonn produced another impressive run on Saturday in a remarkable return to skiing’s top level but admitted she found it tougher lining up in the start gate again 24 hours after her 83rd career World Cup win.
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“I’m not entirely happy. You know I think I skied pretty well but I was a little bit out of balance today,” Vonn told TNT Sports. “I felt good on the top part of the course but I think yesterday was so emotional it took a lot of energy and I didn’t sleep that great. So hopefully tonight I can get a little bit recharged and ski better tomorrow.” Vonn recovered from an error halfway down the run to dislodge Goggia in the leader’s seat, only for Aicher to come out next and outdo her.
“I fell on my hip in the middle of the course and then I was off track for the bottom part of the course where I skied so well yesterday. It happens, that’s ski racing,” said Vonn. Vonn returned to the circuit last December after a five-year retirement with her main goal being the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February. Her form suggests she will be a leading medal contender in the speed events.
“I’m really happy with second place but as someone who always wants to get better, I know I can do better,” said Vonn, the 2010 downhill Olympic gold medallist. As for Aicher, the 22-year-old wasn’t even born when Vonn made her World Cup debut in November 2000, but is a rising force and all-around skier who can compete in all four disciplines — like Vonn did in her prime.
Aicher came fifth on Friday but made the necessary adjustments in trickier snow conditions to eclipse her more illustrious rivals. “It was a bit more bumpy than yesterday, so you felt it,” said Aicher, who won a downhill and super-G last season. “But my coach always tells me, ‘If it’s bumpy, you have to push even more,’ so I just tried to do that. I just tried to do the things better than yesterday and I think I managed that pretty well.”
Vonn heads the downhill standings, with a 35-point lead over Aicher, while fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin, who was not competing on Saturday, still tops the overall standings. Shiffrin is expected to race against Vonn in Sunday’s super-G.
© 2024 AFP
