Vonn raced to fifth place on her downhill comeback, Brignone won and Weidle-Winkelmann achieved her first top fifteen placement of the season.
40 years old, a partial knee prosthesis, but still world class: Speed queen Lindsey Vonn also thrilled the ski world with her downhill comeback. In fantastic weather – blue skies and sunshine – the American immediately achieved a sensational fifth place. It was her first downhill World Cup race in six years. The 40-year-old had already surprised with a 14th place at the Super-G in St. Moritz.
The Italian women also showed off on the “Karl Schranz” route: Federica Brignone took victory. Her 27-year-old compatriot Laura Pirovano (+0.43 seconds) raced to her first World Cup podium with third place. Only the exceptional athlete Ester Ledecka squeezed between the two.
The Czech, who also won the World Cup in snowboarding, moved up to second place with the high start number 27 (+0.18 seconds).
Weidle-Winkelmann comes eleventh
DSV athlete Kira Weidle-Winkelmann also had a solid performance: the 28-year-old had difficulty holding the line. However, 0.86 seconds behind Brignone, Weidle-Winkelmann achieved the first top-fifteen placement of the season (11th). After her training fall in Beaver Creek and a gastrointestinal infection, she provided the first bright spot of the season on the Arlberg. “It was a solid ride, I skied relatively well”said Weidle-Winkelmann after the race on ZDF. “This is a good first step, we can build on it.”
Zero number for Emma Aicher
However, Emma Aicher’s next zero number came after her threading in the slalom in Karnjska Gora: The 21-year-old was too late, missed a gate and had to stop the race halfway.