World Cup in Cortina d’Ampezzo: Goggia wins downhill classic – Vonn beaten off

Italy is freaking out! Sofia Goggia won the downhill classic in Cortina d’Ampezzo on Saturday (January 18, 2024) and was rewarded for a ride full of risk. Lindsey Vonn could only be amazed.

In fantastic weather on the legendary Tofana, Goggia delighted with a wild ride without any major blunders and gave the competition no chance with an aggressive race. The Italian won in front of her home fans by 42 hundredths of a second ahead of Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (Norway) and her teammate Federica Brignone (+ 0.55 s).

Kira Weidle-Winkelmann clearly missed out on a place in the top ten in 17th place and was served: “It was too tense again and not so relaxed. I have to digest the race first. There will be another hour of anger in my stomach.”said the German speed ace at the sports show.

Vonn avoids a fall

While the leaders can usually sit back, relax and pop the champagne corks after the first 20 starters, things have changed since Lindsey Vonn’s comeback. The 40-year-old ski legend, who recently returned from retirement, is running with high starting numbers due to a lack of points – this time the American came in 31st.

It wasn’t enough for the podium in the sunshine on her favorite track in Cortina. Vonn wanted too much and exaggerated the risk in the lower part. The fans didn’t just hold their breath. The American, who has a partial knee prosthesis and had to deal with a fall in training on Thursday, avoided a “drop” this time but had no chance as she was 20th. In St. Anton she narrowly missed the podium with places six (downhill) and fourth (super G).

Vonn was the star alongside Goggia on the track that will be raced for gold, silver and bronze at the Olympic Games in 2026. Then Vonn also wants to compete for the medals. After that it should finally come to an end.

Weidle-Winkelmann knocked off

At 28, Weidle-Winkelmann (SC Starnberg) is in his prime, but not in top form. After her sixth place in the Super-G race in St. Anton, she had to digest another setback in Cortina. The Bavarian drove too cautiously and lost a lot of time and therefore speed in the middle section. At the finish she was 1:33 seconds slower than the furious Goggia. “The idea was fundamentally the right one”she later summed up in the Sportschau interview. However, she was too tense. “Then it didn’t fit together and I lost my skis in the delta curve.”

Emma Aicher (SC Mahlstetten), who started with the high starting number 32, also had no chance of a top placement and ended up 30th.

There is still another chance on Sunday at the 2021 World Cup venue: Weidle-Winkelmann and Aicher’s next attack on a top placement begins in the Super-G (11 a.m., live in the sports show and in the ticker).