American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn has continued her remarkable comeback by securing yet another World Cup podium, finishing third in a super-G event at Val-d'Isère on Sunday.
Goggia Triumphs in Wind-Affected Race
The victory went to Italy's Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic downhill champion, who finished 0.15 seconds ahead of New Zealand's Alice Robinson in second place. The race was interrupted for ten minutes due to strong gusts of wind, impacting the later starters.
Vonn, competing at the age of 41, clocked one of the day's highest speeds at 115kph (71mph). However, she couldn't find the perfect racing line and crossed the finish line 0.36 seconds behind Goggia. This result followed an identical third-place finish in Saturday's downhill event at the same French resort.
Historic 142nd Podium for Vonn
This back-to-back podium success marks the 142nd top-three finish of Vonn's storied World Cup career. Her return to elite competition began exactly one year ago, following a five-season retirement, with the explicit goal of competing at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which start on 6 February 2026.
Her intense start to this World Cup season has been nothing short of spectacular. In just five races over ten days, her record now stands at:
- One victory (downhill at St. Moritz)
- Four podium finishes
- One fourth place
That victory in Switzerland was the 83rd of her career, which began in November 2000—before runner-up Alice Robinson, now 24, was even born.
Looking Ahead to the Olympic Dream
Vonn will now take a three-week break from racing before returning to competition in a downhill event at Altenmarkt, Austria, on 10 January. This strategic pause allows her to consolidate training as she builds towards her ultimate objective: a place at the next Winter Games.
For Goggia, Sunday's win was a just reward for a fast but previously unrewarded start to the season. The 33-year-old Italian's 27th career World Cup win was her eighth in the super-G discipline, finally converting her speed into a top-step finish after two third places earlier in St. Moritz.
