Lindsey Vonn’s stellar return to alpine skiing continued Saturday as the American star finished in sixth place in her first World Cup downhill competition in nearly six years.
In a strong, controlled run down the tricky course in St. Anton, Switzerland, the 40-year-old Vonn was consistent throughout, finishing 0.58 seconds off the lead.
It was the second race back for Vonn, who recently returned to the sport with dreams of making the 2026 Olympics nearly six years after injuries led her to retire following the 2019 world championships. She finished 14th in a Super-G race in St. Moritz, Switzerland, last month, an early sign that those dreams might be reachable.
Vonn is also scheduled to race in Sunday’s Super-G race in St. Anton.
It was nearly a top-five finish for Vonn, but 20-year-old Malorie Blanc of Switzerland stunned the field with a second-place run out of the 46th starting position in her first-ever World Cup race. Italy’s Federica Brignone won the race in 1:16.08, her first career World Cup downhill win and 30th overall. Ester Ledecka of the Czech Republic took third.
Vonn, who started 32nd, was the top American on Saturday in her top discipline. Lauren Macuga finished ninth and Breezy Johnson 11th for the U.S.
Downhill has brought Vonn 43 of her 82 career World Cup race wins and her only Olympic gold medal, in Vancouver in 2010. But by 2019, knee injuries had taken their toll, and Vonn walked away from skiing after the world championships that year. A knee replacement last year left her feeling pain-free, and she announced plans to return in November.
If she keeps this up, she could be on the verge of something unprecedented in women’s alpine skiing. Earlier this year, Brignone became the oldest woman to ever win a World Cup race at 34.
Vonn retired as the most successful American World Cup skier of all time. Fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin — who is recovering from injuries sustained in a fall — has since become the all-time leader in World Cup wins, one away from 100.
Vonn, who has three Olympic medals overall, is seeking to make her fifth Olympic team. She also won world championship golds in downhill and Super-G in 2009 and was the overall World Cup champion three straight years from 2008 to 2010 and again in 2012.
The World Cup tour heads to Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, next week, which is also the venue for the 2026 Olympics. Vonn will be there, and if she keeps stacking results like these, she could be back competing at the Olimpia delle Tofane course — where she’s won 12 times — in the 2026 Games too.
This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Olympics, Women’s Olympics
2025 The Athletic Media Company
