Lindsey Vonn took it easier in downhill training on Friday a day after crashing for the first time of her FIS Alpine Ski World Cup comeback at age 40.
Vonn finished more than three seconds behind leader Sofia Goggia of Italy on the Olympia delle Tofane course. Still, she almost lost control landing a jump midway down before quickly recovering her balance.
Vonn said that she had only a sore bum and a broken boot after losing control near the end of her run on Thursday.
Photo: AP
“I don’t think my crash had any impact on my expectations for the weekend,” Vonn said on Friday. “I hope I can put everything together tomorrow but this is only my fourth race back and I’m not expecting anything of myself, only to ski well and enjoy being back in Cortina one more time.”
Vonn returned last month after nearly six years of retirement and has finished 14th, sixth and fourth in her opening three races. A downhill and a super-G were scheduled yesterday and today, respectively.
“I still have a lot of things I need to figure out and I’m not 100 percent there yet with my equipment and with my skiing,” said Vonn, who holds the record in Cortina with 12 wins.
Photo: AFP
Cortina was also where Vonn earned her first career World Cup podium back in 2004, and where in 2015 she broke Annemarie Moser-Proll’s 35-year-old record of 62 World Cup wins across all disciplines.
Vonn also had the final World Cup race of the first part of her career in Cortina end in tears in 2019 due to the pain in her knees. She retired a month later.
“I’ve had so many great memories here,” Vonn said. “I think probably the two most meaningful was my first podium, which started this roll of confidence ... It’s when everything clicked for me in downhill. And then obviously breaking the women’s win record.”
Photo: AFP
Vonn in an interview with The Associated Press on Thursday said that she hopes to end her career “for once and for all” at next year’s Olympics, when women’s skiing will be contested in Cortina.
The women’s World Cup speed circuit in Cortina takes place tomorrow and today.
Additional reporting by staff writer
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