Ski superstar Lindsey Vonn has set the next exclamation mark almost a month before the opening of the Winter Olympics. The American confidently achieved her second victory of the season in the downhill run in Zauchensee. “I rode very directly and very cleanly, I’m very happy,” said Vonn, who triumphed with a lead of 0.37 seconds over Norwegian Kajsa Vickhoff Lie. Her teammate Jacqueline Wiles (+0.48), whose career was temporarily supported by Vonn’s foundation, came third.
The German skiing hope Emma Aicher (+0.68 seconds) took sixth place on the shortened “Kälberloch” route, which had to be cleared of the fresh snow from the past few days. Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (+0.77), who impressed in second place in the downhill run in Val d’Isere in December, came twelfth.
The Austrian local hero Magdalena Egger fell heavily and had to be transported away by helicopter, which led to a longer interruption. The 24-year-old, who was second in Vonn’s victory in St. Moritz, was conscious but a serious knee injury is suspected.
Vonn’s dream of a second Olympic gold
Because of her early starting number six, she didn’t think “I had a chance,” Lindsey Vonn later said. But: “She did well, she deserves to be in the lead,” explained Weidle-Winkelmann, who started immediately afterwards and was fastest in the only training run on Thursday. During the race she sometimes deviated from the ideal line and was slowed down at times by the fresh snow that had fallen in the previous days.
“If you’re not on the ideal line, you notice that it’s softer,” said Aicher, who also didn’t hit optimally in all sections. However, she emphasized in her usual laconic manner: “It’s okay, it’s fine, it could have been worse. There were a few curves that were good and a few that I can improve.”
For Vonn it was the 84th World Cup victory of her career and her fifth podium finish in only her sixth start this winter. Only at the Super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland in mid-December did she narrowly miss the podium in fourth place.
With a view to the Winter Games in Italy in February, the 41-year-old World Cup returnee is increasingly becoming the big favorite. The former speed queen and 2010 Olympic champion definitely wants to compete for gold again in Cortina d’Ampezzo. She can gain further momentum in the Super-G in Zauchensee on Sunday.
