Sun Valley (United States) (AFP) – Lindsey Vonn claimed the first podium finish of her comeback on Sunday when the 40-year-old skiing superstar finished second to Lara Gut-Behrami, who captured a record sixth World Cup women’s super-G title. Reigning Olympic super-G champion Gut-Behrami of Switzerland took victory in 1:12.35, with American Vonn second in 1:13.64 in what she has said might be her final career race on US snow.
“I usually do better when the pressure is higher,” Vonn said. “It was the last race of the season and I put it all on the line. This is the level I know I can ski — and I know I can even do better than that.” It has been a rough season with people saying that I can’t, I’m too old and I’m not good enough anymore. I think I proved everyone wrong.” Italy’s Federica Brignone, who led the super-G season standings by five points over Gut-Behrami entering the World Cup finals, was third in 1:13.68.
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Gut-Behrami also took season crowns in super-G in 2014, 2016, 2021, 2023, and 2024. But Vonn stole the show by taking her 138th career podium, the first in a World Cup race since 2018, although she placed third in the downhill at the 2019 World Championships. “I really wanted to do well at home,” Vonn said. “It has been very rare in my career that I’ve been able to ski a speed event on home soil.”
She added: “I knew I had to just charge, and I saw that Lauren (Macuga) went out and I said, ‘Well, I’m the only American left so I better show up for my country’.” Vonn was shocked when she glanced at the timing after crossing the finish line, thinking she placed far worse than she did. “At first I thought I was 12th and I thought, ‘Oh man not again,’ Vonn said. “Then I saw a 2 and I was like — it has been a long road. I’m doing this because I love it but that doesn’t mean it has been easy. It has been hard.
“This year has really been up and down, and it has been hard to stay positive sometimes because some people are telling me I should just quit again. But today, it meant everything to me. This is the road to Cortina (Olympics) next year and it has begun and I’m happy.” Gut-Behrami, the 10th starter in the field of 22, grabbed the lead in 1:12.35. Brignone, who started 14th, was 0.06 of a second ahead of Gut-Behrami at the first interval in 19.13 seconds but fell off the pace. Vonn started three spots later and closed her gap near the bottom of the layout to charge her way onto the podium. Brignone has won the World Cup overall title for the second time. The 34-year-old Italian also claimed the 2020 overall honours.
– Feurstein wins men’s title – Austrian Lukas Feurstein gave his homeland its first victory of the season in the men’s super-G final, edging countryman Raphael Haaser. Feurstein won his first World Cup title in 1:10.96, with Haaser second in 1:11.15 and Swiss Franjo Von Allmen third in 1:11.38. Feurstein, 23, took his first World Cup podium last December with a third-place finish at Beaver Creek, Colorado. Swiss star Marco Odermatt, who finished fifth, has already clinched the overall, downhill, super-G, and giant slalom titles.
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