Debacle for ÖSV women

Her 45th downhill victory! Vonn wins in Zauchensee

Lindsey Vonn has every reason to be beaming: the American skiing phenomenon wins the downhill in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee!(Bild: APA/BARBARA GINDL)

She's done it again: American skiing phenomenon Lindsey Vonn has won the downhill race in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee on the Kälberloch slope!

In her 45th World Cup downhill victory, Vonn beat Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie by 0.37 seconds and her compatriot Jacqueline Wiles by 0.48 seconds on a course that was shortened due to weather conditions. From an Austrian perspective, the race was one to forget: the best ÖSV woman, Val d'Isere winner Conny Hütter, finished in 20th place, a full 1.01 seconds behind Vonn's best time...

Ten years ago, Vonn won both the downhill and the super-G in Zauchensee – and tomorrow she has the chance to repeat that double and claim her sixth victory in Zauchensee. Her 45th World Cup downhill victory is her second this season after the one four weeks ago in St. Moritz – she also finished second and third in the downhill, and the 41-year-old has now extended her lead in the discipline standings after four races. Including a third and fourth place in two super-G races, Vonn has not finished lower than fourth this season.

The result:

"It was my last downhill race in Zauchensee and therefore my last chance here," explained Vonn after the race, which started at the Gamskogelhütte, and her 84th World Cup victory overall. "With this mindset, it's perhaps a little easier." She said she skied the right, straight line. "If you're too far out, you're already gone." Before the race, she remembered her victory ten years ago. "I was in the same hotel and Annemarie Moser-Pröll presented me with the trophy."

ÖSV skiers couldn't find the ideal line
While the US star turned onto the road to victory in the middle section of the short course, Hütter lost crucial ground. The Styrian had won the Super-G at her home event two years ago. "In the middle section, I got stuck and realized I just couldn't go any faster," said the 33-year-old. She simply didn't ski where the others did. "From an Austrian perspective, we wanted to put on a show. When I'm alone, I'll let my aggression out – and then analyze it properly."

The overall World Cup standings:

To make matters worse from the ÖSV's point of view, St. Moritz runner-up Magdalena Egger crashed and was taken by helicopter to Radstadt Hospital for an MRI scan – more information can be found here!

0.19 seconds behind Hütter, Ariane Rädler (+1.20) from Vorarlberg tied with Nadine Fest from Carinthia for 24th place. She also missed the line and ended up in the fresh snow. "It's important to find your way down without hitting too much fresh snow. It's annoying for me," said Rädler. Local heroes Carmen Spielberger (+1.35), Mirjam Puchner (+1.38), and Leonie Zegg (+1.39) also made it into the World Cup points, finishing in 28th to 30th place.

Vice World Champion Puchner: "Worst case"
For Salzburg native Puchner, winning two World Cup points is not the goal, so the vice world champion summed up the race with disillusionment: "I already had my troubles at the top of the curve, it's the worst case scenario. I just couldn't get it right, the others did better. I have to put it behind me." Emily Schöpf (32nd/+1.53), Lena Wchner (36th/+1.57), Christina Ager (38th/+1.58), and Nina Ortlieb (39th/+1.62) finished outside the points.

Veteran Ortlieb was the hardest hit of the red-white-red team, speaking of a flat view. "I think I already messed up at the first gate. I went too far and realized that I had lost speed. We were brutally slow, especially in the upper section. A few km/h, a few meters to the left or right, decide whether you end up in fresh snow."

It is the worst ÖSV downhill result in 16 years, or since January 9, 2010, when Anna Fenninger finished 21st in Haus/Ennstal when Vonn won.