ALPINE:

Vonn edges Maze, Riesch to score 40th career World Cup win

Feb. 26, 2011     ♦ Photo: American Lindsey Vonn (U.S. Ski Team)

ARE, Sweden ― Lindsey Vonn showed she is back to her best by winning a women's World Cup downhill race on Saturday, just weeks after concussion curtailed her World Championships campaign.

Vonn was slightly behind Slovenia's Tina Maze at the first time split on the Olympia course but won in 1 minute, 40.93 seconds for her seventh win of the season and 40th overall — extending her American record for men and women.

"It's still hard to believe I have 40 victories. It was tough conditions, pretty flat light and it was hard to see all the terrain and the speeds were high today," the 26-year-old Vonn said. "It's weird. I never thought I would be able to get 40 victories. It's a big number, so I'm incredibly happy. I feel lucky that I'm able to do what I love every day."

Maze finished 0.13 seconds behind Vonn in Saturday's downhill, while overall World Cup leader Maria Riesch of Germany was 0.21 seconds back in third. Riesch won Friday's super-combi, with Maze second.

Canada's Britt Janyk finished 22nd.

Vonn was racing for the first time since withdrawing from the latter part of the World Championships  because of a concussion in pre-competition training. She finished sixth in Friday's super-combined race.

When she finished her run, Vonn clenched her fist and threw her head back in relief as she crossed the finish line in the Swedish resort of Are, then waved to the crowd.

Vonn admitted what she calls the "tabloid gossip" surrounding her concussion really got to her. She finished second behind Austria's Elisabeth Goergl in downhill at the World Championships, but then pulled out of the latter part of the worlds, missing the giant slalom and slalom, and also the team event.

"No one was really listening to what I was saying, either. It was definitely a really hard time for me," she said. "Some people were saying that I shouldn't race because it's too dangerous, and some people were saying that I'm just making it up, that it's not even true. You know, it's like tabloid gossip."

Vonn has a chance for a 41st win in Sunday's super-G, but — being a perfectionist — is more concerned with improving her slalom.

"My training's going really well in slalom," Vonn said. "I think I've figured some things out with my set-up. I just haven't been able to put it through to the finish."

Vonn was .04 behind Maze on her second time split, but accelerated strongly in the middle section and made a clean jump into the bottom slope to clinch victory.

"I did my best and I think it was a good, aggressive run," said Vonn, who is now more than 100 points ahead in the downhill standings but trails Riesch by 176 in the overall.

It was Vonn's third downhill win this season after Val d'Isere, France, and Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria.

"I think that some athletes, their style of skiing suits certain hills more than others. Are, Val d'Isere, and Lake Louise are a few of the hills I really like," Vonn said. "I would like to think I could do well on any course, but there are certain courses I definitely like more."

Nadja Kamer crashed heavily on Saturday when she caught the tip of her left ski in the safety netting as she took a turn too wide near the top. Kamer then spun round twice, flew across the side of the course on her back, then onto her front before hitting the netting.

The 24-year-old Swiss skier's injuries were not immediately known.

"This crash from Nadja was a little bit shocking to see," Maze said. "This gate was really dangerous."
The race was delayed for several minutes. Local favorite Anja Paerson was next after Kamer's crash, but went too wide and out, prompting groans from the crowd.

Goergl also misjudged the top part and failed to finish.

"That big left-footed turn was causing a lot of problems," Vonn said.

Riesch said she also struggled with the conditions.

"It didn't feel great but I'm happy with the result," the 26-year-old Riesch said. "The visibility changed a lot, it was really dark (and) the snow was much faster than in the training runs so it was not easy to find the perfect line."

Maze's last downhill podium was a second-place finish in Bansko, Bulgaria, two years ago. Her only other was when she won in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz three years ago.

"I'm really happy with my second place in downhill. It's not my favorite discipline," the 27-year-old Maze said. "Today I didn't have a good feeling, I didn't know I was skiing well. I had a lot of problems on the course, but later I saw the others had the same problems."

Whistler, B.C.-based Janyk, who wore bib No. 25, crossed the finish line with a time of 1:43.46 . She was the only Canadian athlete taking part in the downhill race.

"My race was all right. It wasn't great and it wasn't horrible," said the 30-year-old, one of 49 women from 12 different nations competing on Saturday. "I feel like my skiing is quite strong but I'm missing a little bit of speed. I had some good sections but it was obviously a little slow and I can't say that I'm really happy with 22nd, but I'm just going to try and forget about today and look forward to the super-G tomorrow.

"I raced the super-G portion of the super-combined on Friday so I had a feel for the hill and I really love racing super-G on this hill. The course goes over a few jumps and I really like that. I like it when there is a lot of terrain in a super-G. I just have to think of it as another day and another race and go out with confidence and know that I'm skiing well. Anything can happen and hopefully there is more speed tomorrow."

Janyk has had success at Are in the past. She finished fourth in the super-G event at the FIS World Alpine Ski Championships in 2007 and has twice finished fifth — in giant slalom and super-combined FIS World Cup events.

"Having been successful here before definitely give me some confidence," added Janyk. "Although the race this year is not on the same track as the World Championships, I've still raced on this hill and I feel good about it."

CBC's main network will be showing the downhill race at 4:30 p.m. ET Saturday.

— The Canadian Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this report

Are women's World Cup downhill results