Italy's Delago Takes Tarvisio Downhill For First World Cup Win
Nicol Delago delivered the breakthrough performance of her career Saturday, claiming her first World Cup victory on home snow as she mastered treacherous foggy conditions to win the Tarvisio downhill, while Lindsey Vonn extended her remarkable podium streak with a third-place finish.
The race was characterized by mild temperatures that kept the track fast, but the foggy conditions transformed what should have been a straightforward speed test into a technical and mental challenge. The course demands exceptional gliding skill with long sections where speed must be generated and preserved, and the steep middle section buried in fog tested both courage and commitment.
The 30-year-old Italian stopped the clock at 1 minute, 46.28 seconds, edging Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann by 0.20 seconds and Vonn by 0.26 seconds in a race defined by limited visibility and the courage to commit through sections where athletes could barely see.
Starting with bib number three, Delago charged out of the gate and attacked a course many struggled to read as thick fog swallowed the middle section of the slope. Where others hesitated, she committed with controlled aggression, growing faster with every split and holding her place at the top while a parade of world-class challengers came down behind her.
"I was so nervous this morning," Delago admitted to Eurosport. "I really like this course. The long turns, the high speed, that's something I enjoy. I didn't think it was a perfect run, especially in the middle, but I just tried to stay calm and ski my race."
The victory represented validation after years of struggle for Delago, who had only five World Cup podiums to her name before Saturday. Her last podium finish came nearly two years ago at Saalbach in March 2024, making the breakthrough all the more sweet.
"Today has great significance for me, it hasn't been an easy few years, so I can only thank everyone who has supported me," Delago said. "I've refound my freedom, realized that less is more and here we are."
At the finish line, Delago celebrated with a big smile and kissed one of her skis, even though with the third bib most of the favorites were still to come down. The moment became even more emotional when she embraced her sister Nadia, who also competes on the World Cup circuit.
"We motivate each other both on the positive days and the negative days," Nicol Delago said of her sister.
Delago's triumph matched Italian teammate Giovanni Franzoni, who claimed his first World Cup victory in a super-G in Wengen, Switzerland, just one day earlier. The back-to-back Italian wins provide a massive confidence boost with the home Olympics opening in less than three weeks.
The Milan Cortina Winter Games begin February 6, with the women racing in Cortina d'Ampezzo and the men in Bormio. The Olympic downhill in Cortina is scheduled for February 8.
"It certainly hasn't always been easy over the years, so today is huge," Delago said. "Yesterday I watched the video of Franzoni's race and that provided extra motivation."
Delago regularly trains on the Tarvisio slope with the Italian team, and she skied with a familiarity that showed in every turn. After winning the final training session on Friday, she carried that confidence into race day, maintaining exceptional aerodynamics through the gliding sections and remaining precise even when visibility disappeared.
The foggy conditions created dramatic moments throughout the race. Delago nearly lost control in the low-visibility section as her skis split apart, but she quickly recovered and then added to her advantage at every checkpoint.
While it was Delago’s day to shine, the skiing world remained in awe of 41-year-old Lindsey Vonn. The American legend secured her fifth consecutive downhill podium of the season, finishing third (+0.26s). Germany’s Kira Weidle-Winkelmann split the difference to take second place (+0.20s).
Weidle-Winkelmann was second fastest on the first day of training and sixth fastest on the second, and the German was pleased to carry that momentum into the race.
"I think my skiing right now is quite good. I feel confident and I'm really happy that I could make it from my training into the race. Two small mistakes but in general I'm happy with my run," she said."It's a new track for most of us and first training was a little confusing. It took me really, really long to inspect and remember the course. I already had a good feeling on the first day. Yesterday was a little different, colder snow, more aggressive, more bumpy and I didn't have the confidence. Today the visibility was better for me. It was softer snow, slower, and the skiing was solid."
For Vonn, the third-place finish marked her fifth consecutive podium in five downhill starts this season, an extraordinary achievement at age 41 following her comeback from retirement. The American legend was fastest at both speed checks, registering 136.3 kilometers per hour at the top, but with such high velocity she veered off course into fresh snow midway down, costing her crucial time.
"It was actually really tough and I tried not to have too much expectation because I knew these other girls were going to be fast," Vonn said. "For me what's important is to be consistent and I'm really happy that I could do that despite the conditions."
It was the first World Cup downhill in Tarvisio in 15 years, and Vonn was one of only two athletes in the current field who had raced it before. In her six previous races in Tarvisio across downhill, super-G and combined events, Vonn earned two wins and four runner-up finishes, making Saturday's third place her worst-ever result at the venue.
"I don't really remember the track," Vonn said. "But I do remember that the atmosphere was amazing and the people were amazing. I met some fans earlier and they were singing songs about me. It was awesome. So I'm so happy to be back on the podium again under tough conditions. So it couldn't be better."
In the downhill standings, Vonn increased her advantage to 144 points ahead of Germany's Emma Aicher. Four World Cup downhills remain this season. In the overall standings, Vonn moved up to third place with 510 points, trailing only American teammate Mikaela Shiffrin at 923 points and Switzerland's Camille Rast at 753.
Delago jumped to fifth in the downhill standings with 180 points, level with Italian speed specialist Sofia Goggia, who endured a rare off day. Goggia finished outside the top 10, more than 1.35 seconds off the pace in a discipline where she has won the World Cup title four times.
"You can have these ups and downs, that's how it is sometimes. But I'm very happy for Nicol," Goggia said to Italian broadcaster Rai.
For the Stifel U.S. Ski Team women, Saturday's race represented the final downhill counting toward Olympic downhill criteria, adding enormous pressure to the already challenging conditions. With only two more downhills remaining before the Games and discretionary selections still possible, the results carry significant weight for athletes fighting for Olympic roster spots.
It was good,” said Vonn. “I was pretty close to the fence but carried my speed OK for the conditions. I am really close to first and considering everything I have to be happy today.”
Vonn delivered a powerful run on the Tarvisio course, navigating a challenging track and, in sections, tricky visibility. She crossed the line just .26 seconds off the top spot and one hundred off of second place.
“II skied really fast, maybe the gliding was not as fast, but I am really happy to perform well in different snow and courses which gives me confidence for Cortina,” said Vonn.
Stifel U.S. Ski Team teammate Breezy Johnson had a strong downhill result in sixth. It was Johnson’s fourth top 10 in downhill in the 2025-26 season, showing her consistency and speed. Jackie Wiles rounded out the top 15 for the women in 13th place.
“Today’s downhill was challenging,” said Johnson. “I felt like I skied well without any major mistakes so overall I'm pretty happy with skiing and trying to move forward to the next races.”
Delago's victory represents the best Italian result ever achieved on this slope, a fitting achievement with the home Olympics on the horizon. Her performance demonstrated that she has the form and confidence to challenge for medals when the stakes are highest in Cortina in three weeks.
