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At age 41, Lindsey Vonn’s ability to consistently finish on the World Cup speed circuit’s podium is unparalleled.
Vonn finished second in a super-G on Sunday that was held amid difficult visibility in Tarvisio, Italy to claim her seventh podium result in eight races this season.
No other skier has more than three podiums in the speed events, and Vonn’s “worst” result this season is fourth. Even Mikaela Shiffrin, who has seven podiums in 14 technical races, hasn’t been as consistent across all her events.
The results make Vonn a clear medal favourite in both downhill and super-G for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which open in less than three weeks in Italy.
Vonn was beaten only by Germany’s Emma Aicher, who is 19 years younger.
Aicher finished in one minute 14.04 seconds, 0.27 seconds ahead of Vonn for her second victory this season, with former Olympic champion Ester Ledecka third, 0.94 behind in 1:14.98.
“It was tough conditions with the visibility but I’m really happy to be on the podium again,” Vonn said. “Of course, I’m close to another win, but it is what it is. I think I’ll save the hundredths for Cortina.”
Val Grenier of St-Isidore, Ont., was 14th of 53 finishers in 1:15.59 while teammate Cassidy Gray of Panorama, B.C. was disqualified for an unspecified reason.
Valérie Grenier’s time of 1:15.59 gave the St. Isidore, Ont. native a fourteenth place World Cup finish in the super-g Sunday in Tarvisio, Italy.
Robinson crash
Alice Robinson, the New Zealand skier who won two giant slaloms and a super-G this season, crashed into the final gate and hit the snow hard. She got right back up and appeared to avoid serious injury but seemed shaken.
Fog on the upper section made it difficult for skiers to navigate the Prampero course.
Vonn led Aicher at every checkpoint but lost time on the final gates.
It was Aicher’s fourth career victory after two downhills and a super-G. She’s one of the few skiers on the circuit who competes in all four disciplines.
“I’m happy that I could push through and have no mistakes for once,” said Aicher, who was born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and a German father.
Emma Aicher of Germany won her first super-g race of the World Cup season Sunday at Tarvisio, Italy.
Ledecka, the Czech racer who claimed Olympic golds in both snowboarding and skiing at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games in South Korea, won her first podium of the season.
Romane Miradoli of France finished fourth and Keely Cashman of the United States was fifth for the best result of her career.
The women’s circuit remains in Italy for the Kronplatz giant slalom on Tuesday.
There is only one more set of speed races before the Olympics, in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Jan. 30-31.
Also Sunday, the Italian team announced that defending overall World Cup champion Federica Brignone is returning to the squad for the Kronplatz race, which would mark her first time competing since breaking multiple bones in her left leg in April.
The Italian team said Brignone would make a final decision after testing the course on Monday.
Watch FIS Alpine Ski World Cup women’s super-g action from Tarvisio, Italy.
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