Late mistake costs Lindsey Vonn at Cortina d’Ampezzo World Cup downhill
The 40-year-old said she felt she was "on pace to have another good, top-5 result" before losing speed in the final sector.

Marco Trovati/AP photo
In her second downhill since coming back from her 2019 World Cup retirement, Lindsey Vonn looked destined for another jaw-dropping result in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy.
Vonn charged the lower half of the Olympia delle Tofane course — where she’s won 12 times in her career — posting the second-fastest third sector and fifth-best fourth. But the 40-year-old caught an edge near the part of the course where she crashed in Thursday’s training run, losing valuable speed in the process.
“I’m a little bit disappointed with my mistake today,” the 82-time World Cup winner told U.S. Ski and Snowboard’s Sierra Ryder after finishing 20th in the 51-skier field. “I think I was on pace to have another good, top-5 result, and you know that’s what happens in ski racing.”
Sofia Goggia captured her fourth win in Cortina d’Ampezzo, proving her status as the downhill favorite when the Olympics return to her home soil next winter.
“For us Italians, it’s always a special place in Cortina, and today I felt like I had my heart in my throat,” Goggia told FIS. The 2018 Olympic downhill champion said she was focused on herself coming out of the start gate as the last of the high seeds.

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“I didn’t know who was leading, who was second, who was third,” the 32-year-old added. “I just had the strategy in my mind.”
Norwegian Kajsa Vickhoff Lie finished 0.42 back in second while Federica Brignone rounded out the podium. Lauren Macuga was the top American in 16th. For Vonn — who was sixth in the St. Anton downhill, her first in six years — Saturday’s course presented larger jumps and more terrain than the Austrian slopes she competed on last weekend.
“I haven’t skied much terrain; St. Anton there really wasn’t many jumps and in training it’s hard to get jumps, so today was a good step,” she said. “You know it’s almost like training for me.”
In general, the eight-time downhill crystal globe winner said she hasn’t spent much time working downhill gates lately.
“My technician was in the hospital a couple weeks ago, so I’ve been going back and forth between technicians,” she said. “I’m just trying to get in a good rhythm. I’m trying to get the skis figured out. I’m still testing boots — there’s so much going on. I can’t expect every race is going to be perfect. Today I made a mistake and unfortunately it cost me a good result, but I’m skiing well and I’m very happy about that.”
Vonn retired in 2019 after battling persistent injuries throughout the final years of her career. She had knee surgery in April and announced her comeback to the World Cup in November. She stated Saturday that she doesn’t even think about her knee while racing.
“My butt was a little bit sore from my crash two days ago,” Vonn said. “My knee is really the last thing on my mind, which I’m really thankful for. I trust my body and now I can ski, but now I just have to ski a little bit better (and) clean up my mistakes.”
Vonn told the Associated Press on Thursday that she plans to retire again after the 2026 Olympics, which will be held on the Olympia delle Tofane course.
“I’ve dreamed of being back here so many times,” she said after Saturday’s event. “It’s probably the most fun downhill I’ve ever run.”
The World Cup weekend continues with a super-G on Sunday.
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