Andy Devaney
If there was ever a reminder that greatness doesn’t evaporate with time, Lindsey Vonn delivered it in emphatic fashion on the frozen slopes of St. Moritz. Nearly eight years after her last World Cup triumph, Lindsey Vonn powered to victory in Friday’s opening Downhill of the season, winning by almost a full second and reminding the sport exactly who she is.
This was World Cup win number 83 for Lindsey Vonn. It was also her 44th Downhill victory and her second at St. Moritz — achieved with the kind of authority that silences doubters faster than any statistic ever could.
Behind her, 24-year-old Magdalena Egger produced the performance of her young career, finishing second to claim her first-ever World Cup podium. But make no mistake: this was Vonn’s day, written in bold capital letters.
HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber saw something familiar in the run — and something new besides.
“Lindsey Vonn’s run was awesome, especially on the section that is so smooth to ski. That was the Aksel effect in action. Proof for me that she has grown even stronger since Aksel Lund Svindal joined the team. I am also very pleased with Magdalena Egger’s performance,” said Salzgeber.
“Lindsey Vonn can achieve anything she wants to now! She is back up on the same level that she was, winning races. The snow and weather conditions were perfect for everyone today, and she went out and took the victory. As long as she remains fit, everything is possible for her.”
The numbers only underline the story. In the first women’s speed event of the season, Lindsey Vonn finished 98 hundredths of a second clear of Egger. Her last World Cup win came back on 14 March 2018, when she topped the podium in the Downhill at Åre. Since then, injuries, setbacks and scepticism followed her every move.
At the finish line, Vonn admitted even she hadn’t quite seen that margin coming.
“I was surprised to see such a huge lead as I crossed the finish line. I thought I had made a couple of mistakes. Over the jump I flew a long way. I wasn’t sure before the race that I was 100 percent on form, but it was enough! I need the feeling that my body does what I want it to do, and that the skis help me do that. So many people have said that I won’t manage. But as a team we have a superb rhythm and have continued to build on it,” said Lindsey Vonn at the finish.
If Vonn’s win was a statement, Magdalena Egger’s podium was a promise. Competing in just her seventh World Cup Downhill, the Austrian exceeded every expectation. Her previous best finish was 18th in Kvitfjell earlier this year. On Friday, she skied with freedom, control and courage well beyond her years.
“I am speechless. I really enjoyed skiing this run. I skied the course way I planned to ski it. It’s great that I can trust in my skiing and the equipment and that it has worked out so well,” said Egger.
HEAD enjoyed a deep day across the leaderboard, with six World Cup Rebels finishing inside the top ten. Germany’s Emma Aicher placed fifth, Austria’s Cornelia Hütter sixth, Italy’s Laura Pirovano ninth, and Austria’s Nina Ortlieb tenth. Further World Cup points were added by Ariane Rädler (11th), Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (19th), Lena Wechner (20th), Keely Cashman (24th), Cande Moreno (26th) and Allison Mollin (27th).
But history will remember this race for one reason above all else. Lindsey Vonn didn’t just return — she returned on her own terms. Calm, fast, fearless. The clock doesn’t lie, and neither does a nearly one-second winning margin on a World Cup Downhill track.
The season is young. Lindsey Vonn looks anything but finished.
