Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – Vail, Colo.’s Lindsey Vonn earned her 39th career World Cup win Sunday in the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup super G ski race in Cortina d’Ampezzo. Vonn extended her World Cup super G lead as she posted her second victory in three days as competitor and friend Maria Riesch of Germany finished only five hundredths back in second.nSunday’s victory was Vonn’s career fifth win in Cortina and marked her 11th podium there after landing on all three Cortina podiums this weekend. She now extends her U.S. record to 39 World Cup victories and leads Riesch by 151 points in the super G discipline standings, although she still trails Riesch in the hunt for the overall World Cup title.
“This weekend went really well. I’m really happy with all the results,” said Vonn. “Obviously the downhill was a little disappointing because of my near crash. I didn’t lose 40 points on Saturday to Maria – I won 60 points.”
Vonn nearly lost control near the bottom of Saturday’s downhill, but made another athletic recovery to still land on the podium.
“Mentally, I just had to put it out of my head,” Vonn said of Saturday’s near disaster. “Every point is so important right now. I really wanted to gain some more ground on Maria [Riesch] this weekend than what I did, so I’m just going to have to go that much harder next week in Sestriere (Italy).”
Vonn’s U.S. teammate, Julia Mancuso of Olympic Valley, Calif., finished just off the podium Sunday in fourth behind bronze medalist Lara Gut of Switzerland. Mancuso went 4-2-4 on the weekend in Cortina.
“It was good. I’m exciting to always be trying to get on the podium,” said Mancuso. “It’s hard skiing against Lindsey [Vonn] and Maria [Riesch] because they’re so fast. You have to risk a lot and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.”
U.S. Ski Team coach Chip White set the challenging course in Sunday’s super G. “It was a perfect day in Cortina again – perfect conditions, sunny weather, U.S. Ski Team Head Coach Alex Hoedlmoser. “Chip set the course. It was a very good course and a very interesting and exciting race. The girls were skiing pretty well.”
So was Canada’s Britt Janyk, who finished ninth to match her best result this season.
“It was a good day and I’m happy about my result,” said the 30-year-old from Whistler, British Columbia. “I have great confidence in my super G skills and today confirmed once again that I am a good super G skier. It was a great race, a great course and great conditions.”
The World Cup women are packing up and heading to Sestriere, Italy, for more speed events next weekend.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup
Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy – Jan. 23, 2011
Super G
1. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 1:22.64
2. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:22.69
3. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 1:23.52