The comeback queen races for the first time since its return to the podium, Lara Gut-Behrami secures the small crystal ball.
Comeback Queen Lindsey Vonn has been racing onto the “Stockerl” for the first time since her well-known return. The 40-year-old American took second place behind Lara Gut-Behrami from Switzerland at the season finale in Sun Valley in Super-G.
It was her first podium since third place at the Super-G from Are/Sweden in March 2018. At the finish line, Vonn sank into the snow and forgetting tears of joy.
Age record in World Cup history
Vonn went on the slopes far after the favorites, but drove aggressively from the start and made no mistakes. In the middle part, she could not keep up with Gut-Behrami, but made a strong final section and thus sensationally glued to second place.
Vonn (+1.29 seconds) is by far the oldest ski racer on the podium in World Cup history. It exceeded Alexandra Meissnitzer’s previous record by around six years. The Austrian was 34 years, eight months and 25 days old in third place in the Bormio Super-G in the 2007/08 season. For Vonn it was the 137th “Stockerl” ride in the World Cup.
“It was a tough season in which people said I couldn’t, I was too old, I wasn’t good enough,” said Vonn at NBC Sports and added with relish: “I think I showed it to everyone.”
Gut-Behrami got a dream run and started the overall World Cup winner Federica Brignone with her second win of the season in discipline classification. The Italian, who also won the little one in the departure in addition to the large crystal ball and reaches on Tuesday after the overall victory in the giant slalom on Tuesday, finished third with 1.33 seconds.
Emma Aicher (+2.01) and Kira Weible-Winkelmann (+2.24) drove nine and eleven ranks.