In a fairy-tale return that silenced doubters and electrified the alpine world, Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American legend, blazed down the Corviglia course to seize the lead in the women’s FIS Alpine World Cup downhill opener, clocking a blistering time that left rivals scrambling and fans roaring. “LINDSEY IS THE NEW LEADER !!! What a run! 😳😳,” proclaimed the official FIS Alpine X account moments after her gate drop, capturing the sheer disbelief and awe rippling through the Engadin Valley as Vonn – with 12 extra pounds of offseason muscle fueling her charge – transformed training dominance into race-day magic.
Vonn’s run, a masterclass in raw power and precision on the 2.3-km Salastrains track, showcased the four-time overall World Cup champion at her vintage best: carving through jumps and glides with the ferocity of her 2010 Vancouver Olympic gold-medal descent, while hitting speeds that nudged 110 km/h. Bib 15 out of 62 starters, she provisionally topped the leaderboard by a commanding margin – reports from live updates peg her ahead of early pacesetters like Italy’s Sofia Goggia and Austria’s Cornelia Hütter by over a second, though final gaps await the full field. As TNT Sports gushed on X: “Lindsey Vonn takes a HUGE lead after a stunning downhill run in St Moritz! 🤩🇺🇸,” the moment felt like destiny, just 10 weeks out from her targeted Milano-Cortina Olympics.
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From Training Terror to Podium Predator
Vonn’s path to this pinnacle was paved in preparation. After dominating Wednesday’s first training run with a 1:30.95 clocking – 0.59 seconds clear of Norway’s Kajsa Vickhoff Lie and 0.71 ahead of Goggia – she doubled down Thursday, honing her line on the fast, flowing layout that rewards aggression. “Physically I’m in possibly the best shape I’ve ever been in,” Vonn had declared just hours earlier in her Kempinski presser, flanked by new coach Aksel Lund Svindal. The Norwegian icon, a two-time overall champ himself, watched from the timing booth as his charge delivered: a run blending the tactical smarts of her 82 World Cup wins (third all-time) with the unbridled speed that netted her 43 downhill records.
The U.S. Ski & Snowboard contingent erupted in the finish area, where Vonn – helmet off, fists pumping – shared hugs with teammates like world downhill champ Breezy Johnson and super-G silver medalist from Sun Valley. “That podium last March validated everything,” Vonn said post-run, her breath still ragged. “But this? This feels like the start of something bigger. Cortina’s calling.” At 41, she’s not just chasing history as the oldest women’s World Cup winner (a mark she already owns); she’s gunning to shatter it, with FIS points from this weekend crucial for Olympic seeding by January 18.
Rivals Rattled, Olympic Stakes Skyrocket
The field remains wide open, with heavy hitters yet to drop: Hütter, the defending Crystal Globe holder, lurks as a late bib threat, while Goggia – the reigning downhill queen eyeing her own Cortina medal – posted a strong provisional second early on. Norway’s Lie, Vonn’s training nemesis, sits third for now, and Czech star Ester Ledecká, the dual Olympic gold medalist, could shake things up. Absences loom large – Switzerland’s Lara Gut-Behrami and Corinne Suter sidelined by injury – but the buzz is all Vonn. Italian scribe Federico Marinozzi captured the sentiment on X: “St. Moritz, FIS World Cup Women, Downhill: LINDSEY VONN La REGINA è tornata 👏👏👏👏👏👏 41 anni!” – the queen is back.
Adding fuel, Mikaela Shiffrin – Vonn’s record-shattering U.S. rival with 104 World Cup triumphs – skips the downhills but eyes Sunday’s super-G, her first speed outing since 2023. “Mikaela’s electric start in tech makes this weekend must-watch,” noted NBC Olympics preview. As one French fan tweeted: “Vonn au sommet ! Incroyable retour à 41 ans #FISAlpine.”
This “long weekend of women’s speed races” – downhill Friday and Saturday, super-G Sunday – isn’t just a season launch; it’s an Olympic audition. Vonn’s lead cements St. Moritz as her kingdom, where she snagged a super-G 14th in her 2024 return after six years away. Now, with the gates dropping for the rest, the question isn’t if she’ll podium – it’s how many.
