The venue for women’s World Cup races at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, is one of the most picturesque settings in the world of skiing. And for Vail’s Lindsey Vonn, it has been the scene of great success.
Vonn captured the first podium of her career there when she was only 19 years old, and on Saturday she secured her 12th win on the famous Tofane course. It was the 79th overall in her stellar career, which put her only seven wins behind Ingemar Stenmark’s all-time wins record. Canada’s Lake Louise resort is the only venue where she has been more successful (18 wins).
It was Vonn’s second win of the season, following a downhill victory at Val d’Isere, France, on Dec. 16, and it was the second day in a row that the Americans took two spots on the podium. On Friday, Vonn was second and EagleVail’s Mikaela Shiffrin was third. On Saturday, Shiffrin had to settle for seventh place, but Vonn was joined on the podium by Jackie Wiles of Aurora, Ore.
Vonn had a revenge motive when she got in the starting gate, because she knew one small error caused by a rut in the course cost her a win the day before when the light was flat. Saturday was sunny, and so was Vonn’s disposition.
“I’m really happy,” Vonn said in the post-race news conference. “It was good, clean skiing today. I didn’t make any mistakes like yesterday, and it was just really fun. It was a beautiful day, perfect Cortina sunshine, perfect conditions. It made me really happy just to be out there on the mountain today, and obviously to win was special.”
At age 33, Vonn became the oldest woman to win a downhill, and she is at a point in her career when she savors big moments with reflection. She was reminded of how fast time is passing on Friday when teammate Julia Mancuso retired with one final run at Cortina. Vonn and Mancuso are the same age, raced against each other as juniors and joined the U.S. Ski Team at the same time. She’s also reminded of how long she has been racing by pain in her right knee, which required surgery twice in 2013.
“Mentally I feel like it’s the first podium I ever got, back in 2004, I feel the same,” Vonn said. “I have the same motivation, the same drive, the same excitement. I love going fast, it’s never changed. The only thing that’s changed is, my body is not as good as it once was, but that doesn’t mean I can’t still win. It just takes a lot more effort and energy to hold things together. I’ll keep going until my poor little knee gets out (of racing).”
For now, it seems that time won’t come soon. Vonn has said she will continue to race until she breaks Stenmark’s record.
“As long as I’m racing, I’m going to be going for it. I’m going to be trying to get as many wins as possible,” Vonn said. “My focus right now is so much on the Olympics that I haven’t really thought about it this season. With the win today and at Val d’Isere, it’s nice to get a little bit closer to that record, but after the Olympics that will be my number one priority again.”
All-time World Cup wins
86 — Ingemar Stenmark, Sweden, 1973-89
79 — Lindsey Vonn, Vail, 2001-present
62 — Annemarie Moser-Proell, Austria, 1969-80
55 — Vreni Schneider, Switzerland, 1984-95
54 — Hermann Maier, Austria, 1996-2009
50 — Alberto Tomba, Italy, 1986-98
48 — Marcel Hirscher, Austria, 2008-present
46 — Renate Goetschl, Austria, 1993-2009
46 — Marc Girardelli, Luxembourg, 1980-96
42 — Anja Paerson, Sweden, 1998-2012
