Vonn wins Lake Louise Downhill for record fifth time

December 5, 2008 – It looks like Lindsey Vonn owns Lake Louise.  Her convincing win today was her fifth in as many years. Starting 16th, Vonn jumped into the lead after the first split, then gained two more tenths to finish .61 seconds ahead of Italy’s Nadia Fanchini who came in second. Maria Riesch of Germany was third, .69 seconds off Vonn.

“It’s amazing. It’s awesome to have a feeling like I have on this hill. I know it so well,” Vonn told the press. “It seemed like such a short time ago that I was going for three wins here and now I’ve been able to win five.”

The win also breaks Isolde Kostner’s previous record of four wins on the course, and it makes Vonn the overall World Cup leader by 69 points over Tanja Poutianen of Finland.

On the surface the win seems easy, but the fact of the matter an incoming storm made it anything but. As winds picked up race officials bumped the start down the hill. It was snowing and the light was characteristically flat.

U.S. Ski Team Women’s Alpine Head Coach Jim Tracy said Vonn skied exceptionally well through tough conditions on the hill.

Vonn is off to an exceptional start this season as she aims to defend last year’s overall title. She was ninth in the opening giant slalom at Soelden, Austria, took first in the opening slalom at Levi, Finland, and was fourth in both the giant slalom and slalom at Aspen last week.

OFFICIAL RESULTS
2009 AUDI FIS WORLD CUP
Lake Louise, ALB – Dec. 5, 2008
Women’s Downhill
1. Lindsey Vonn, Vail, CO, 1:26.10
2. Nadia Fanchini, Italy, 1:26.71
3. Maria Riesch, Germany, 1:26.79
4. Gina Stechert, Germany, 1:27.00
5. Andrea Fischbacher, Austria 1:27.03