The Italian ski team and Lindsey Vonn, aged 41, are performing exceptionally well as the countdown to the upcoming Olympics in their home country continues. Nicol Delago secured her first World Cup victory in a downhill event held in Tarvisio, Italy, with Vonn finishing third, marking her fifth podium placement in five downhill races this season. Val Grenier from St. Isidore, Ont., was the highest-ranking Canadian skier, finishing in 39th place.
Delago’s triumph matched that of her Italian teammate, Giovanni Franzoni, who clinched his first victory in a super-G competition in Wengen, Switzerland, the day before. The Milan Cortina Winter Games are set to commence on February 6, with the women competing in Cortina d’Ampezzo and the men in Bormio.
Delago, who led the final training session on Friday, finished ahead of Kira Weidle-Winkelmann of Germany by 0.20 seconds and ahead of Vonn by 0.26 seconds. Her previous best results included three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes. Notably, her younger sister, Nadia, secured the bronze medal in downhill skiing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finishing 10th in the recent competition.
The race in Tarvisio marked the first World Cup downhill event in 15 years, with Vonn being one of only two current athletes who had previously raced on the course. Vonn expressed her joy at being back on the podium, praising the atmosphere and support from fans. The competition was challenging due to limited visibility caused by fog on the course.
Vonn extended her lead in the downhill standings to 144 points over Emma Aicher of Germany, with four more World Cup downhill races remaining in the season. In the overall standings, Vonn climbed to third place with 510 points, trailing behind Mikaela Shiffrin (923 points) and Camille Rast (753 points), who are not currently participating in downhill events.
Despite challenges such as fog and high speeds, both Delago and Vonn showcased impressive performances in the race. Delago faced a moment of potential loss of control in foggy conditions but managed to recover and secure her victory. Vonn demonstrated remarkable speed but encountered some difficulties, veering off course into fresh snow, which slightly slowed her down.
Looking ahead, the Olympic downhill event in Cortina is scheduled for February 8, followed by a super-G race in Tarvisio on Sunday.