Alpine

Vonn Grabs 77th World Cup Win

by
USSA
2017-01-21 04:45
 

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Jan. 21, 2017) – Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) is back on top!

In only her second race since returning from a pair of injuries that sidelined her for almost a year, Vonn won Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup downhill on the Kandahar course for the third time in her career. Saturday’s win marked her 77th career World Cup victory, moving her closer to the all-time mark of 86 wins set by the legendary Swede Ingemar Stenmark.

“I’m so happy that it only took me two races to get back on the top step,” Vonn said. “Honestly, I wasn’t sure after Zauchensee how long it would take me. I proved to myself today that all the work that I put in is really coming through.”

Starting bib 17, Vonn posted the fastest times at four of the five intermediate splits ahead of second-place finisher Lara Gut of Switzerland and third-place finisher Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany, both of whom looked on with surprising disbelief in the finish at what Vonn had just accomplished.

“I’ve worked really hard to come back and I feel like sometimes I come back so quickly that everyone forgets how much time and energy, blood, sweat and tears it takes to come back without any training and just jump in there,” said Vonn, who was 13th in her first race back last weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria.

Garmisch Podium
Swiss Lara Gut (left) takes a selfie on the podium with Lindsey Vonn and Germany’s Viktoria Rebensburg. (Getty Images/Agency Zoom-Stanko Gruden)

Vonn’s victory led four Americans into the top 20, including Breezy Johnson (Victor, ID) in 11th; Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR) and Stacey Cook (Mammoth Lakes, CA) tied for 18thJackie Wiles (Aurora, OR), who grabbed her first career World Cup podium in third last weekend in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, finished 26th. Leanne Smith (North Conway, NH) was 37th.

Johnson was well on her way to a career-best World Cup result until the second-to-last racer to start, Ricarda Haaser of Austria, wearing bib 53 came down and posted her best World Cup downhill finish in 10th.

Breezy Johnson
Breezy Johnson finished 11th in Saturday’s Audi FIS Ski World Cup. (Getty Images/Agency Zoom-Stanko Gruden)

With her second-place finish, Gut took 80 points out of Mikaela Shiffrin’s (Eagle-Vail, CO) overall World Cup lead. Shiffrin leads the overall standings with 1,008 points. Gut is second with 773 points. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec finished seventh to maintain her overall World Cup downhill lead over Gut in second and Italy’s Sofia Goggia in third.

Up next, the women race super G Sunday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Vonn will be gunning for World Cup victory No. 78. Watch it live on NBCSports.com at 5:45 a.m. EST.

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Lindsey Vonn won her 77th career World Cup race Saturday in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in only her second race back since recovering from a pair of injuries that sidelined her for almost a year.
  • Vonn’s victory was her 39th career World Cup downhill victory, and her third World Cup downhill victory (2017, 2016, 2012) on the Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
  • Breezy Johnson tied her career-best World Cup result in 11th place. She also finished 11th earlier this season in Lake Louise, Canada.
  • Road to Aspen: Swiss Lara Gut took an 80-point chunk out of Mikaela Shiffrin’s overall World Cup lead with her second place finish Saturday. Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec finished seventh to maintain her overall World Cup downhill lead over Gut in second and Italy’s Sofia Goggia in third.

 

QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn

It feels amazing. I just got to the bottom and I cried. I’ve worked really hard to come back and I feel like sometimes I come back so quickly that everyone forgets how much time and energy, blood, sweat and tears it takes to come back without any training and just jump in there. I just had to trust myself, my team and my technician - we all did our best and today was just amazing.

I’m so happy that it only took me two races to get back on the top step. Honestly, I wasn’t sure after Zauchensee how long it would take me. I proved to myself today that all the work that I put in is really coming through.

BROADCAST AND LIVE STREAMING (times EST)
All events streaming at www.nbcsports.com/live

Saturday, Jan. 21
3:00 p.m. – Women’s downhill, Garmisch – NBCSN
4:30 p.m. – Men’s downhill, Kitzbuehel – NBCSN

Sunday, Jan. 22
5:45 a.m. – Women’s super G, Garmisch – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:30 p.m. – Women’s super G, Garmisch – Universal HD

Tuesday, Jan. 24
3:15 a.m. – Women’s giant slalom run 1, Kronplatz – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:15 a.m. – Women’s giant slalom run 2, Kronplatz – nbcsports.com – LIVE STREAM
6:00 p.m. – Women’s giant slalom, Kronplatz – Universal HD

Live streaming available on NBCsports.com/Live and the NBC Sports app, which is available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV and Amazon Fire.

RESULTS
Women’s downhill

 

 


 


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