Lindsey Vonn’s stellar return to alpine skiing continued on Saturday as the American star finished in sixth place in her first World Cup downhill in almost six years.
In a strong, controlled run over the tricky course in St. Anton, Switzerland, the 40-year-old Vonn was consistent throughout and finished 0.58 seconds off the lead.
It was the second race back for Vonn, who recently returned to the sport with dreams of making it to the 2026 Olympics, nearly six years after injuries forced her to retire after the 2019 world championships. She finished last month as 14th in a Super-G race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, an early sign that those dreams could be achievable.
Vonn will also race in the Super-G race in St. Anton on Sunday.
It was a close top-five finish for Vonn, but 20-year-old Malorie Blanc of Switzerland stunned the field with a second-place finish from 46th on the grid in her first-ever World Cup race. Italy’s Federica Brignone won the race in 1:16.08, her first career Downhill World Cup win and 30th overall. Ester Ledecka from the Czech Republic came third.
Vonn, who started 32nd, was the best American in her top discipline on Saturday. Lauren Macuga finished ninth and Breezy Johnson 11th for the US
Downhill has given Vonn 43 of her 82 career World Cup victories and her only Olympic gold medal, in Vancouver in 2010. But by 2019, knee injuries had taken their toll and Vonn retired from skiing after that year’s world championships. A knee replacement last year left her feeling pain-free, and she announced plans to return in November.
If she keeps this up, she could be on the brink of something unprecedented in women’s alpine skiing. Earlier this year, Brignone became the oldest woman to ever win a World Cup race at the age of 34.
Vonn retired as the most successful American World Cup skier of all time. Compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin – who is recovering from injuries suffered in a fall – has since become the all-time leader in World Cup victories, one shy of 100.
Vonn, who has a total of three Olympic medals, is trying to make her fifth Olympic team. She also won gold at the Downhill and Super-G World Championships in 2009 and was overall World Cup champion three years in a row from 2008 to 2010 and again in 2012.
The World Cup tour heads to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy next week, which is also the site of the 2026 Olympics. Vonn will be there, and if she continues to get results like that, she could be back at the 2026 Games competing in the Olimpia delle Tofane course – where she has won twelve times.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
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