Alpine World Cup
US ski star Vonn races to victory in Zauchensee
Almost a month before the Olympics, Lindsey Vonn continues to be in impressive form. German hopeful Emma Aicher is also convincing. An Austrian woman is seriously injured.
Ski superstar Lindsey Vonn has set the next exclamation mark almost a month before the opening of the Winter Olympics. The American confidently celebrated her second victory of the season in the downhill race in Zauchensee. She triumphed with a lead of 0.37 seconds over the Norwegian Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, while her US teammate Jacqueline Wiles came third (+0.48).
Germany’s alpine jewel Emma Aicher took a good sixth place, Kira Weidle-Winkelmann came twelfth. The Austrian local hero Magdalena Egger fell heavily and had to be transported away by helicopter, which led to a longer interruption.
Season over for Austrian Egger
The Austrian association announced that examinations in the hospital showed that the 24-year-old had torn a cruciate ligament. Egger also suffered further injuries to his right knee. She will be operated on in a clinic in Innsbruck and will be out for the rest of the season.
The race on the Kälberloch route was significantly shortened due to the weather. Snowfall in the past few days had already thrown the organizers’ plans into disarray.
Dream of a second Olympic gold
For Vonn it was the 84th World Cup victory of her career and her fifth podium finish in 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.
dpa
