By PAT GRAHAM COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — While they were only lower-tier downhill competitions, they featured a wealth of Olympic medalists and World Cup champions. The spotlight was on Lindsey Vonn, the 40-year-old skier who made a significant move on her comeback journey Saturday, racing for the first time in nearly six years. Vonn […]
By PAT GRAHAM
COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. (AP) — While they were only lower-tier downhill competitions, they featured a wealth of Olympic medalists and World Cup champions.
The spotlight was on Lindsey Vonn, the 40-year-old skier who made a significant move on her comeback journey Saturday, racing for the first time in nearly six years.
Vonn didn’t exhibit remarkable speed and ended up placing in the middle of the standings on a chilly but bright day at Copper Mountain. The goal wasn’t necessarily to achieve fast times or top placements, but rather to reacquaint herself with speed and gather the points required to compete on the World Cup circuit this season. She succeeded, finishing 24th in the first downhill event and 27th in the second.
Following the FIS races, she shared on social media that she had accumulated enough points to qualify for World Cup competitions. The timing is ideal — the next venue on the women’s circuit is Beaver Creek, Colorado, in a week. Although Vonn, who previously owned a property in nearby Vail, has not set a definitive timeline for her World Cup return.
“Today was a great beginning, and I enjoyed being at the start with my teammates again!” Vonn posted on X. “While some may speculate that my results indicate I’m not in top shape, I would disagree. This was essentially training for me. I’m still testing gear and rediscovering my rhythm.”
Her fellow competitors — a notable collection of elite ski racers — praised her performance.
“I don’t expect her to return and dominate — just that she enjoys herself,” said Federica Brignone of Italy, a former overall World Cup champion and three-time Olympic medalist. “She seems to be having fun and doing what she loves. That’s the best outcome for her.”
During the initial race on a frigid morning, Vonn finished 1.44 seconds behind Mirjam Puchner of Austria, who posted a winning time of 1 minute, 5.79 seconds.
In her subsequent race later that morning, Vonn finished 1.53 seconds behind Cornelia Huetter of Austria, who recorded a time of 1:05.99. Huetter is the defending season-long World Cup downhill champion.
“It’s truly nice to race against her again, and great to have her back on the slopes,” Huetter remarked. “For the skiing World Cup, her presence brings a lot more attention. This is beneficial for all competitors because it draws interest.”
The field also included Nadia Delago of Italy, who won a bronze in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, and Puchner, who earned silver in super-G at Beijing. Additionally, there was Marta Bassino of Italy, a super-G champion at the 2023 world championships, along with two-time Olympic champion Michelle Gisin of Switzerland.
Vonn continues to be a beloved personality, taking moments after each run to sign autographs for young admirers and pose for photographs.
When she departed from the sport, Vonn held 82 World Cup race wins, a record among women and just shy of the all-time Alpine record of 86, set by Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark.
The women’s record that Vonn held was overtaken in January 2023 by Mikaela Shiffrin, who currently boasts 99 victories — more than any skier in Alpine history. Shiffrin is currently recovering from a fall during a giant slalom race in Killington, Vermont, last weekend.
Vonn’s last significant competition took place in February 2019, where she secured third in downhill at the world championships in Sweden. The three-time Olympic medalist exited the circuit while still performing at a high level. However, injuries, including broken bones, concussions, and torn ligaments, ultimately led her to retire.
She underwent a partial knee replacement last April and felt sufficiently recovered to attempt a comeback.
“It’s truly impressive to witness the passion that Lindsey retains,” Gisin remarked.
Also competing Saturday was 45-year-old Sarah Schleper, who initially represented the United States but now competes for Mexico. Schleper was the next skier behind Vonn, and they shared a moment as two 40-somethings still racing.
“I said to her, ‘Give me some advice, Lindsey,’” Schleper recounted. “She responded, ‘Just tuck in for the whole thing like you’re on a highway.’ Then she added, ‘It’s just like the good old days.’”
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AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
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