Lindsey Vonn was denied double gold in the downhill races in St Moritz, taking silver in Saturday’s race after winning on Friday.
German 22-year-old Emma Aicher instead claimed victory by just 0.24 seconds in the second World Cup downhill of the season.
American great Vonn won her 83rd World Cup race on Friday, 21 years after her maiden victory, to become the oldest-ever winner of a World Cup race, aged 41.
She set the fastest time again on Saturday after starting 11th but was immediately pi…
Lindsey Vonn was denied double gold in the downhill races in St Moritz, taking silver in Saturday’s race after winning on Friday.
German 22-year-old Emma Aicher instead claimed victory by just 0.24 seconds in the second World Cup downhill of the season.
American great Vonn won her 83rd World Cup race on Friday, 21 years after her maiden victory, to become the oldest-ever winner of a World Cup race, aged 41.
She set the fastest time again on Saturday after starting 11th but was immediately pipped to top spot by Aicher, who finished in one minute and 30.50 seconds, 0.24 seconds quicker than the American.
It was a third World Cup victory, and second in downhill, for the Swedish-born all-rounder.
“It was a bit more bumpy than yesterday so you felt it,” said Aicher, who was fifth on Friday. “My coach always tells me if it’s bumpy you have to push even more so I just tried to do that.”
Italy’s 2018 Olympic downhill champion Sofia Goggia, the ninth starter and a big hope for her home Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics in February, finished third, 0.05 seconds down on Vonn.
Vonn’s US teammate and reigning world champion Breezy Johnson finished fourth and 0.40 seconds off the pace on her 100th World Cup start.
Vonn, who managed to correct a loss of balance in the middle of her run when she fell on her hip and lost some speed and focus, stayed top of the downhill standings with 180 points from a possible 200.
Vonn has kickstarted her Olympic season in style with gold and silver in downhill World Cup races so far (Getty Images)
“I think I skied pretty well but I was a little bit out of balance today,” she said.
“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. Hopefully tonight I can get a little bit recharged and ski better tomorrow."
St. Moritz hosts a Super-G on Sunday with Vonn set to be joined on the start list by teammate Mikaela Shiffrin, in a race featuring the two most successful women’s World Cup skiers of all time.
The pair have not competed in the same World Cup race since 2019, when Shiffrin won the Super-G in Cortina d’Ampezzo - which will host the Olympic Games.
Shiffrin, winner of a record 104 races, has also made an impressive start to the season with three successive slalom victories.
“I’m really happy with second place but as someone that always wants to get better, I know I can be better,” added Vonn.
Additional reporting by Reuters