41-year-old Lindsey Vonn came out of the 2025/26 alpine skiing start gate in stunning fashion on this morning to win the first women’s FIS World Cup downhill race of the season at St. Moritz by a huge 0.98s margin and lay down her marker as she launches her bid for gold on the world’s biggest winter stage, the Winter Olympics in Cortina d’Ampezzo, next year.
Vonn returned from a long break last year looking to mix it with the best downhill skiers of this current generation such as her friend Italian Sofia Goggia – who won 2018 gold and 2022 Olympic silver medals – and she signalled her intent by going fastest in the first downhill training on Wednesday by 0.59s.
With her win, her 83rd World cup victory and her first win since March 2018, Vonn becomes the oldest ever World Cup downhill winner, surpassing the previous benchmark set by Swiss legend Didier Cuche who became the oldest winner with his Crans-Montana Super-G victory in 2012 – aged 37 years and 192 days.
Ahead of tomorrow’s second downhill race in the same resort, Vonn admitted: “I knew I was skiing fast, but you never know until the first race. I think I was a little faster than I expected. It’s a very exciting time. It felt so good. I don’t have to drive at the limit, and I’m still fast and driving cleanly.”
“Lindsey Vonn’s run was awesome, especially on the section that is so smooth to ski. That was the Aksel effect in action. Proof for me that she has grown even stronger since Aksel Lund Svindal joined the team,” said HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber, who added, “Lindsey Vonn can achieve anything she wants to now! She is back up on the same level that she was, winning races. The snow and weather conditions were perfect for everyone today, and she went out and took the victory. As long as she remains fit, everything is possible for her.”
Image top credit Red Bull.
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