ST. ANTON, Austria (AP) — Federica Brignone had zero World Cup downhill wins in her stellar career. Lindsey Vonn had a record 43. Malorie Blanc had never even started a World Cup downhill.
In an instant classic Saturday, Brignone started closing the gap with her debut downhill win at age 34 before ski great Vonn was hugely impressive racing into fifth place in her first downhill for six years — at age 40 and now with a titanium knee.
The drama was not over.
Wearing low-ranked bib No. 46 in just the second race of her World Cup career, Swiss prospect Blanc stunningly had the fastest time at the final checkpoint before finishing just 0.07 seconds behind Brignone. Vonn was pushed down into sixth.
Italian star Brignone looked shocked, sitting in the course-side leader’s box, by the world junior championships silver medalist’s performance before celebrating with a determined smile.
“A super-exciting race,” Brignone said. “Malorie was really fast in training, Lindsey too, so I was waiting for them.”
Three generations of downhill racers had served up a compelling race for the ages.
“That was fun,” Vonn told broadcaster Eurosport. “All things considered it was a great start.”
Vonn lost her record as the oldest-ever winner of a World Cup downhill — 33 when she won in March 2018 at Are, Sweden — to Brignone, who extended her record as the oldest winner in any World Cup discipline.
Brignone, the 2020 World Cup overall champion and a five-time runner-up in downhills, finally stepped up to the top step of the podium in a sun-splashed race. Her debut downhill success was her 30th career World Cup win.
The Italian star was technically excellent to finish ahead of Blanc, whose only previous World Cup race was failing to finish a super-G three weeks ago in St. Moritz that was Vonn’s comeback race.
“It’s unbelievable but after, you have to keep your feet on the ground to continue like that,” said Blanc, who had been hugged by several teammates rushing into the finish area to acclaim her.
In third place Saturday was Ester Ledecka, who also once shocked the ski world by taking gold at the 2018 Olympics in super-G. Ledecka was 0.18 behind Brignone.
Vonn was sixth in the first downhill of her comeback season. Her previous World Cup downhill had been in January 2019, placing ninth at Cortina d’Ampezzo. The Italian course stages races next weekend and is the 2026 Olympics venue for women's Alpine races.
This was the second race of the unexpected latest chapter of Vonn’s storied career. She had been 14th in the St. Moritz super-G.
The American was fastest in the first part of the course touching 124 kph (77 mph) and was in contention for a podium finish until losing time on the bottom part of the course.
Vonn raised both arms in the air and flashed a big smile when she crossed the finish line and saw her time.
“Wow, Lindsey, wow!” the racecourse commentator broadcast to fans as Vonn puffed her cheeks walking from the finish area.
Valerie Grenier, of St. Isidore, Ont., was the lone Canadian in the race and finished 43rd.
It was a picture-postcard day in Austria, still and sunny with -8 Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) temperatures. The Karl Schranz course was shortened to 1.9 kilometers (1.2 miles) because of heavy snowfalls after Thursday’s training run.
Brignone started after expected contenders Sofia Goggia and Lara Gut-Behrami had threatened fast times.
Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic champion and silver medalist in 2022, was leading when she skied out and narrowly avoided going into the safety fences. She later told Italian television she was unhurt.
Gut-Behrami, two racers later, also led when she went too wide at a left-hand turn and lost speed in the slow fresh snow regaining her line. The defending overall champion was 0.87 slower than Brignone in 13th place.
Jacqueline Wiles of the U.S. skied out at the same tricky turn and slammed the snow with her right ski pole.
Still, the Americans had a good day beyond Vonn. Lauren Macuga was ninth — backing up her season-opening fourth at Beaver Creek, Colorado — and Breezy Johnson was 11th, only 0.80 behind Brignone.
Brignone, Vonn and Blanc return in a super-G scheduled Sunday.
___
AP skiing: https://apnews.com/hub/alpine-skiing
The Associated Press
