She's REALLY back. Vonn Wins in St. Moritz!
Lindsey Vonn roared to the finish in St. Moritz, Switzerland to take her 83rd win and her first Audi FIS World Cup victory since her storied comeback began, proving that she is still the best downhiller in the world at age 41. It was her sixth win in St. Moritz throughout her career, dating back to 2010.
Vonn finished 98 hundredths of a second ahead of Magdalena Egger. This is Lindsey Vonn's 83rd World Cup victory, her 44th in the Downhill and her second in a Downhill in St. Moritz. Previously, her last victory in the World Cup was on the 14th of March 2018, when the American athlete stood on top of the podium in the Downhill in Are.
“It's like a dream. It's more than a dream,” said Vonn. “I worked so hard this summer and we have such a great team and everything has really come together, but it almost doesn't feel real.”
From bib 16, Vonn skied into the green with fast middle and lower splits to take a commanding lead by more than a second. It was her first World Cup win since March 2018, when she was 33 years old, and marks her as the oldest alpine World Cup winner in history. The previous record holder was Didier Cuche, who won a super-G in 2012 at 37 years old.
Vonn announced her comeback to the Stifel U.S. Ski Team in the fall of 2024 after retiring in 2019, and debuted in her first race one year ago in St. Moritz where she was 14th. She continued to drive to the top throughout the season and finally stepped onto the podium at the Stifel Sun Valley Finals at the end of the season, securing second place in the super-G.
But she wasn’t done there, stating that she worked harder throughout the off-season than she ever has and has her eyes on more World Cup podiums and Olympic medals in Cortina. 2025-26 will be her final season.
“I'm trying to enjoy every single moment because this is my last weekend racing in St. Moritz ever in my life,” said Vonn. “I’m not racing anymore after this year, so I'm trying to enjoy it, but it couldn't go any better than this. This is amazing. I'm so happy.”
Vonn won the day by an astounding .98 seconds over Magdalena Egger of Austria. Austrian Mirjam Puchner was third. The emotions were high in the finish as Vonn was greeted by teammates, staff and more all congratulating her on the incredible victory.
“Every single thing that I could do to be faster, I did,” said Vonn. “And now, now this is what happens. You get the reward.”
The greatest women’s speed skier of all time looked back to her supreme best: the kind of athlete who won four overall titles between 2008 and 2012. How was this possible?
Emotions were certainly flowing. “I just called my dad, he was crying so hard, I’ve never heard him so emotional in my whole life, it made me cry too,” said Vonn afterwards. “The win means so much to me. I knew in the summer I was on the right path, and all the hard work has paid off.”
“I was surprised to see such a huge lead as I crossed the finish line. I thought I had made a couple of mistakes. Over the jump I flew a long way. I wasn't sure before the race that I was 100 percent on form, but it was enough! I need the feeling that my body does what I want it to do, and that the skis help me do that. So many people have said that I won't manage. But as a team we have a superb rhythm and have continued to build on it," said Lindsey Vonn at the finish.
Vonn, though, has meant business all week, clocking the fastest time in training. Aggressive from the gate, it all came together on the bumpier mid-section. Tidy and precise on every turn, she carried massive speed into the lower section.
Vonn was so quick she could barely stop, ploughing into the barriers at the bottom as she wildly punched the air. It was seven years, eight months and 29 days since her last victory (at Are in 2018).
She attributed the moment to a perfect combination of factors. “We worked really hard, not just me but my whole team, from the equipment, physical training, and also we hired Aksel [Lund Svindal, as coach],” she said. “Systematically, every single thing I could do to be faster, I did.
“I knew I was skiing fast, but you never know until the first race, and it was a little faster than I expected. I felt nervous, it’s always tricky, the first race of the season. Aksel said at the start: ‘Sofia [Goggia] lost a lot of time at the start but she was able to make it up at the bottom’. I was thinking OK, well, I just need to ski the pitch really clean and carry my speed down. I still didn’t ski the best that I could have on the compression on the bottom, but I tried to be dynamic, clean, like I’ve been in training, and it was pretty solid. I think I had a great run but I also made some mistakes, so I’m excited for tomorrow.”
That mid-section was key, she believes. “Aksel said it the other day in the press conference, people think I’m a really good glider, but I’m actually a better turner.
“I started off as a slalom skier. And I try to be clean and generate power. That’s where I’m skiing well now, in the turns.”
She didn’t know she had won, initially: “I was stuck in the banner”. But as soon as she did, the American knew she had justification for her comeback. Vonn loves to prove doubters wrong.
“All the people who didn’t believe in me, I have to thank them, because it gives me a lot of motivation,” she said. “I’m surprised people haven’t figured that out by now. Every time they talk bad about me it makes me stronger, better, more motivated. So I’d love for people to keep coming at me.”
Magdalena Egger also had reason to celebrate. This is only her seventh World Cup Downhill event, and the 24-year-old Austrian athlete has already bagged her first podium finish in second place. Previously, her best result in the World Cup was an eighteenth place in the Downhill in Kvitfjell in March 2025. "I am speechless. I really enjoyed skiing this run. I skied the course way I planned to ski it. It's great that I can trust in my skiing and the equipment and that it has worked out so well," said Magdalena Egger.
"Lindsey Vonn's run was awesome, especially on the section that is so smooth to ski. That was the Aksel effect in action. Proof for me that she has grown even stronger since Aksel Lund Svindal joined the team. I am also very pleased with Magdalena Egger's performance," said HEAD Racing Director Rainer Salzgeber. "Lindsey Vonn can achieve anything she wants to now! She is back up on the same level that she was, winning races. The snow and weather conditions were perfect for everyone today, and she went out and took the victory. As long as she remains fit, everything is possible for her."
Puchner, who finished third, was also content with her season’s start. “I don’t know if I expected this,” she said. “I knew that I was fast during the training runs, the whole autumn.
“I tried to believe in myself. After yesterday’s training it was not bad. Today the sun was shining, I knew I could ski everything and I had to trust in myself. I was really fast on the upper part, I felt it because the jumps were so far, not like yesterday. I tried to push, it was OK, but I think there is much [to improve on] tomorrow. I think it’s a good option to take the same strategy tomorrow. I believed in myself and that’s the key for me. It’s good to start the season well, because you don’t think too much and you can keep going.”
The rest of the U.S. Ski Team also had a banner day, putting seven into the top 30. Breezy Johnson was 15th. Bella Wright was 16th—her best result in two seasons. Jackie Wiles was 18th, Haley Cutler had a career best result in 20th, Keely Cashman 24th and Allison Mollin was 27th for her first career World Cup points.
"I feel like I've been skiing at that level for a while, and it's good to just do it in the setting when it counts and when it matters, not only top 30, but huge team result for everyone," said Mollin.
It was notably Wright's first race back after ending her season short in February of last year. Her result just outside the top 15 is a big stepping stone moving forward into the season.
"I'm really grateful for today," said Wright. "I haven't raced since last February and this is like my third day of a full length course. It was somewhat nerve wracking, but also I was happy to make it down and have a pretty solid run with some mistakes to clean up for tomorrow."
Vonn must have the final word. “Honestly it’s a lot to do with energy conservation, it’s a long weekend," she said. “I’m just going to try to get some sleep tonight. I know what to do tomorrow. I skied my plan, and I’m actually really excited for Super G because I’m skiing better in Super G than in Downhill."
