The Italian ski team and Lindsey Vonn are performing exceptionally well as they gear up for the upcoming home Olympics in less than three weeks. Nicol Delago secured her first World Cup victory in a downhill event on home soil in Tarvisio, Italy, with Vonn finishing in third place, marking her fifth podium finish in five downhills this season. Val Grenier from St. Isidore, Ont., was the top Canadian finisher, coming in 39th place.
Delago’s triumph matched her Italian teammate Giovanni Franzoni, who also claimed his first victory in a super-G race in Wengen, Switzerland, the day before. The Milan Cortina Winter Games are set to commence on Feb. 6, with women racing in Cortina d’Ampezzo and men in Bormio.
Delago finished ahead of Kira Weidle-Winkelmann from Germany and Vonn by 0.20 and 0.26 seconds, respectively. Delago had previously achieved three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes. Her younger sister, Nadia, who won a bronze medal in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, finished 10th in the race.
Vonn, one of only two athletes in the current field to have raced in Tarvisio before, reminisced about the enthusiastic atmosphere and support from fans. Despite challenging conditions, she expressed joy in returning to the podium.
The race was marked by fog affecting visibility on the course. Delago faced a moment of potential loss of control in the foggy section but recovered swiftly, extending her lead at each checkpoint. Vonn showcased top speed but encountered a slight setback as she veered off course into fresh snow.
Vonn has further solidified her lead in the downhill standings, holding a 144-point advantage over Emma Aicher of Germany with four more World Cup downhills remaining this season. In the overall standings, Vonn now sits in third place with 510 points, trailing only Mikaela Shiffrin (923 points) and Camille Rast (753), who are not currently competing in downhill events.
The next event on the schedule is a super-G in Tarvisio on Sunday, with the Olympic downhill in Cortina slated for Feb. 8.