At 41, Lindsey Vonn is proving age is just a number in alpine skiing. The American comeback queen secured her seventh World Cup podium of the season with a strong second-place finish in Sunday’s super-G on the demanding Di Prampero course in Tarvisio — her favorite stomping ground making a triumphant return to the World Cup calendar after 15 years.
Germany’s rising star Emma Aicher claimed the victory in a time of 1:14.04, edging out Vonn by a razor-thin 0.27 seconds. Czechia’s Ester Ledecka rounded out the podium in third.
Here are electrifying shots of Lindsey Vonn celebrating her latest podium triumph:
Vonn, who underwent a titanium knee replacement to enable pain-free skiing after a five-year retirement, led at the first three intermediate splits before Aicher powered through the final section. Despite tough visibility due to fog, Vonn delivered a clean, controlled run that showcased her experience on one of her most successful venues — where her record now stands at two wins, five seconds, and one third.
“I’m really happy to be on the podium again,” Vonn told Italian broadcaster RAI. “Of course I’m close to another win, but it is what it is — I think I’ll save the hundredths for Cortina!”
The result follows her third-place finish in Saturday’s downhill on the same piste, underlining her dominance in speed events. Vonn holds a commanding lead in the downhill standings and trails new super-G leader Sofia Goggia by just 10 points after the Italian finished sixth.
Here, Emma Aicher beams with joy after securing her fourth career World Cup victory:
Emma Aicher Wins Tarvisio Super G as Lindsey Vonn Returns to Podium
Aicher, 22, has exploded onto the scene this season with seven podiums across disciplines, including four wins. “I’m pretty happy with how I skied from top to bottom,” she said modestly. “It was a nice course, it was fun to ski.”
The weekend also highlighted Italy’s hopes for the upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics (starting February 6), with Goggia emerging as a key medal contender amid uncertainty over Federica Brignone’s recovery from a severe leg injury last April. Brignone could make her season debut in this week’s giant slalom at Kronplatz.
Action from the challenging Tarvisio slopes that tested the world’s best:
Lindsey Vonn achieves fifth-straight World Cup downhill podium in …
Vonn’s relentless consistency — podiums in seven of eight races this season — positions her as a serious threat for gold in downhill and super-G at her home Olympics in Cortina. The veteran, who won Olympic downhill gold in 2010, is saving her best for the biggest stage.
With the Games just weeks away, the alpine world is buzzing: the comeback queen is roaring back louder than ever. Forza Lindsey — and watch out, the field!
