Former Vail racer Vonn claims improbable second in stunning World Cup comeback

The U.S. Ski Team recently issued the following press release on former Vail resident Lindsey Vonn finishing second in a super-G at World Cup Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho:

Under the sun and on home snow, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Lindsey Vonn secured a second place finish in the super-G at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals in Sun Valley, Idaho. The podium finish marks her first World Cup podium since coming out of retirement and her first podium since 2018. 

“It’s been a really fun journey. It’s been a really hard journey,” said Vonn. “This podium is so meaningful. I always knew why I was here. I love skiing, I love going fast, and I just couldn’t put all the pieces together. And today, I finally did.” 

Vonn’s best result prior to Sunday was a fourth-place finish in the super-G at St. Anton, Austria in January. She had an up-and-down season with strong skiing in sections but was plagued by mistakes and DNFs. However, she knew how to turn it on at home in Sun Valley when it mattered most. 

Vonn ran bib 17 and fought through tough snow and terrain, showing grit as she nailed key sections on the course to make it down into second place. The cheers from the home crowd were deafening, who were thrilled to see the speed queen making her mark on the Sun Valley snow. 

It was a dream come true for the skier and the fans. When she crossed the finish line, Vonn threw up her arms and screamed into the camera. It was a celebration of something she had been working towards since coming back from retirement and proof of her ability as a ski racer. With nearly the entire women’s alpine team in the finish, it was also a celebration to remember for everyone in attendance, especially for Vonn, who was visibly emotional from the moment she crossed the line to when she stood atop the podium steps.

“I knew I was the only American that would be coming to the finish line today and I wanted to make my country proud,” said Vonn. “I’m just getting started. I feel like this season was just a lot of testing and trying to figure things out and get back into the sport.” 

Breakout star Lauren Macuga also raced in the super-G but unfortunately did not finish. Macuga was charging hard but her ski got caught up in some bad snow and she didn’t make it to the next gate. Regardless of the result, Macuga was cheered on by a very loud Sun Valley crowd and her family, including her two sisters – one who competes on the Stifel U.S. Freestyle Team and one on the U.S. Ski Jumping Team. 

The winner of the race and super-G globe was Lara Gut-Behrami. Gut-Behrami skied with aggression that no other women in the field could match to win the race by an astounding 1.29 seconds. This win also snagged her the Crystal Globe for the discipline over Italian Federica Brignone. 

On the men’s side, Stifel U.S. Ski Team athlete Ryan Cochran-Siegle landed in 13th place in the super-G. He was hoping for a stronger result in a season that had brought many highs and lows for the veteran skier. Regardless of the disappointing place, he remained confident that he will find his fast skiing again and plans to work on consistency this summer. 

“I had days of strong skiing, but it’s hard to not feel disappointed by not really putting it together more consistently,” said Cochran-Siegle. “I feel motivated, addressing my weaknesses and really trying to actually improve and find ways to get better because I don’t feel like I’m so far off.” 

The World Cup speed season is now officially over and both the men and women plan to take a little break before firing into spring camps to test and prepare for an Olympic season. 

The Stifel Sun Valley Finals continue on Tuesday with tech events. 

RESULTS
Women’s super-G
Men’s super-G