Lindsey Vonn continued her impressive performance in the current season of the Milan Cortina Olympics by securing third place in a World Cup downhill event in Val d’Isere, France, which was won by Cornelia Huetter.
Vonn has achieved a podium finish in all three World Cup downhill races held across Switzerland and France, including a victory, a second-place finish, and now a third-place finish.
Huetter, racing right after Vonn, displayed consistent speed, maintaining a slight lead after the initial time split and reaching speeds of 126 kph (78 mph). She finished 0.26 seconds ahead of Kira Weidle-Winkelmann and 0.35 seconds ahead of Lindsey Vonn.
Val Grenier from St. Isidore, Ontario, was the highest-ranking Canadian competitor, securing the 24th position in the race.
With this performance, Vonn has extended her lead in the World Cup downhill standings for the season.
Despite challenging visibility conditions on the 2.8-kilometer O.K. course, 2018 Olympic champion Sofia Goggia posed a significant threat to Huetter during the race.
Goggia, starting with bib number 14, initially led the race but faced difficulties maintaining balance in a turn, which cost her valuable time. Ultimately, she finished 0.62 seconds behind Huetter, landing in the eighth position.
Huetter, a 33-year-old Austrian, now holds five downhill victories out of her ten career World Cup wins and claimed the season title in 2024. She is expected to be a strong contender for a medal in the Olympic downhill event scheduled for February 8 in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Vonn, aiming for her fifth Olympics in the Milan Cortina Winter Games, made a remarkable comeback last year after a hiatus of almost six seasons. She previously won gold in 2010 in Vancouver and secured bronze in 2018 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
The upcoming event in Val d’Isere will feature a super-G competition on Sunday, following Vonn’s strong performance with a fourth-place finish in the discipline at St. Moritz, where the victory was claimed by Alice Robinson of New Zealand.
