Vonn takes 10th World Cup victory in Bansko

BANSKO, Bulgaria-Reuters

US’ ‘Snow Queen’ Lindsey Vonn waves before the award ceremony for the Alpine Skiing World Cup Super G race. Reuters photo

Lindsey Vonn made two enormous mistakes but still had enough strength and speed to snatch her 10th victory of the season in an Alpine skiing World Cup Super-G in Bansko yesterday.

The American almost crashed on the upper part of the course, nearly slid out halfway down and was 0.6 seconds behind Liechtenstein’s Tina Weirather at the last intermediate time check.

Despite the errors, the overall World Cup leader and Olympic downhill champion powered back to beat her young rival by 0.05 seconds at the finish.

“In a way I was fortunate the downhill was cancelled yesterday because it gave me time to rest. I’m really tired at the moment but it helped me get the focus back,” said Vonn after her 51st World Cup career win.

“I made a big mistake halfway down but it’s a tricky course on which it is very difficult not to make mistakes.”

It was the fifth podium this season for Weirather, 22, and offered further evidence that she might be a match for Vonn in the future.

“I nearly believed I’d made it this time. But I’m not too disappointed. I’m skiing at another level now and I really hope I can end up winning a World Cup race like my mother,” said the daughter of former Olympic and world champion Hanni Wenzel.

Italy’s Daniela Merighetti, winner of her first World Cup race on home snow in Cortina d’Ampezzo last month, maintained her fine form to take third, 0.02 behind Weirather, for her first super-G podium.

Thanks to the victory, Vonn made a giant step towards her third crystal globe of the season after dominating the downhill and super-combined World Cups.

With only one race left, the American holds a 94-point lead over Austria’s Anna Fenninger, the only skier still theoretically capable of beating her in the discipline.

Vonn, who will fly to New York this week for promotion duties, will return on time for two giant slaloms in Ofterschwang next weekend and real ambitions in that discipline as well.

“I still have a chance in the GS World Cup and it helps me keep my motivation,” said the American, who leads Slovenia’s Tina Maze by 528 points in the overall standings.