American dominates by 0.98s in Switzerland to launch gold bid on world’s biggest winter stage next year.
Lindsey Vonn came out of the 2025/26 alpine skiing start gate in stunning fashion on Friday morning to win the first 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 next year. Here is all you need to know:
- Vonn returned from a long break last year looking to mix it with the best downhill skiers of this current generation such as Italian Sofia Goggia – who won 2018 gold and 2022 silver medals – and she signalled her intent by going fastest in the first downhill training on Wednesday by 0.59s.
- The 41-year-old American lined up on Friday in the Swiss resort of St. Moritz aiming to become the oldest World Cup downhill winner and she had to wait for 15 rivals to go down the mountain first with young German sensation Emma Aicher going fastest 13th down followed quickly by Austrian Mirjam Puchner next up.
- Goggia, who has four FIS World Cup downhill titles to her name, launched herself down the mountain next, however could not get past Puchner and had to settle for second 0.15s behind with Aicher third.
- All eyes were on Vonn next and, even though she was seventh at the second intermediate check, she moved swiftly into first by the third one before picking up speed on the bottom half to go 1.16s clear of Puchner with Austrian Magdalena Egger getting in between them later to end in second 0.98s behind.
- It was Vonn’s 83rd World Cup win and her first since March 2018 thereby becoming the oldest alpine skiing World Cup winner on record at 41, 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 Saturday’s second downhill race in the same resort, she 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.”
- Vonn will use the bulk of the FIS World Cup downhill season to prepare for another tilt at glory on the world’s biggest winter stage next year after banking one downhill gold, one downhill bronze and one Super-G bronze in her career.
Here is a selection of what the four-time FIS World Cup overall champion had to say about the new season, fresh off a US Ski Team training camp in Colorado:
What do you love about skiing?
There are a lot of things I love about skiing, but mainly the feeling that anything is possible. You can ski as fast as you push yourself, and it feels like a limitless feeling of opportunity.
What are your strengths, and what makes you a great athlete?
One of my biggest strengths is my hard work ethic. It doesn’t matter what I face or what’s in front of me, I will keep working as hard or as long as it takes to get to where I want to go. As an athlete, that’s one of the most important things.
Risk is inherent in racing at an elite level. What’s your strategy for managing it?
I think planning and preparation are the ways to mitigate the risk in ski racing. Things like knowing where you’re going, being as strong as you can, and being mentally prepared give you the best chance of success and making it down in one piece. But going 85 mph, anything can happen. You can prepare all you want, but it is a dangerous sport.
We’re less than 100 days from Milano. What makes the games different from other competitions?
The games are special because you’re representing your country. It’s different from a World Cup or the World Championships. It’s a competition that is far greater than yourself. You’re part of a team, but representing the entire country, and that is a privilege that I feel very lucky to have experienced.
For those following your journey, what kind of message do you hope they take away from this comeback season?
I hope people are inspired to believe in themselves. This comeback was unexpected, but I’m proving a lot of people wrong and changing people’s expectations about what’s possible at an older age. I hope people are more inclined to pursue their own dreams than they were before.
Photos and article: Redbull
