Lindsey Vonn finishes 14th in first World Cup race in nearly six years

Lindsey Vonn placed 14th in her first Alpine skiing World Cup race after ending a nearly six-year retirement.

Vonn, 40, finished 1.18 seconds behind Austrian winner Cornelia Hütter as the 31st starter in a super-G in St. Moritz, Switzerland. She then smiled and repeatedly waved to a cheering crowd in the finish area.

Vonn became the second-oldest woman on record to start a World Cup race and the oldest woman on record to earn World Cup points by finishing in the top 30 of a race.

“I’m taking this season as a preparation for next season,” she said last week, noting her ultimate goal is to make a fifth Olympic team in 2026. “So when I don’t win right off the bat, I hope people understand that it’s not because I can’t. It’s because I’m working my way back in. I don’t need to take any risks right now. I need to stay on my feet, get some solid results, get my confidence and be ready for next year.”

ALPINE SKIING: Results | Broadcast Schedule

Vonn was the second-fastest U.S. woman on Saturday behind Lauren Macuga, who placed seventh overall.

A nation can qualify to enter up to four Alpine skiers per individual race at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic roster is typically finalized in the weeks leading up to the Opening Ceremony and largely based off international results in the year leading up to the Olympics.

Last month, Vonn, the 2010 Olympic downhill gold medalist and four-time World Cup overall champion, announced her return to ski racing for the first time since retiring at the February 2019 World Championships.

She had left the sport due to the physical toll of accumulated injuries. She decided to come back after feeling pain-free following partial right knee replacement surgery in April.

“I literally don’t think about my knee at all, which is crazy because that’s all I thought about for the last 11 years,” Vonn said last week.

Another super-G in St. Moritz is scheduled for Sunday.

FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup Results: St. Moritz Super-G

1. Cornelia Hütter (AUT) — 1:15.18
2. Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) — +.18
3. Sofia Goggia (ITA) — +.33
4. Elena Curtoni (ITA) — +.42
5. Federica Brignone (ITA) — +.43
6. Laura Pirovano (ITA) — +.70
7. Lauren Macuga (USA) — +.75
7. Ester Ledecka (CZE) — +.75
9. Mirjam Puchner (AUT) — +.76
10. Corinne Suter (SUI) — +.80 14. Lindsey Vonn (USA) — +1.18