'CONFIDENT' VONN PLACES SIXTH AS BRIGNONE WINS FIRST EVER DOWNHILL
US ski star Lindsey Vonn was an impressive sixth in her first World Cup downhill in almost six years on Saturday, with Federica Brignone winning the race in Austria's St Anton for a first downhill success.
Vonn, 40, came out of retirement in a super-g in December when she finished a creditable 14th.
Injury-plagued Vonn had retired in February 2019 after a then women's record 82 World Cup race victories, an Olympic gold and two world titles.
She has since been surpassed in World Cup wins by compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin (99) but decided to return after having a new knee and being pain-free.
Vonn won this race way back in 2007 and was on course for a podium spot on Saturday until losing time close to the line. She was just 0.58 seconds behind Brignone.
"I haven’t started outside the top 30 since I was probably 17 years old. All things considered it was a great start," Vonn told Eurosport.
"I feel a little bit more confident and comfortable in downhill than I do in super-g."
Italian Brignone, the 2020 overall champion, had never won an individual World Cup downhill among her 29 previous victories but pounced as rivals fell away.
"It wasn't the perfect race but I did well and made up for some mistakes," she was quoted as saying by Gazzetta dello Sport. "Vonn looks good and will be dangerous again."
She prevailed in 1 minute 16.08 seconds, edging Swiss late runner Malorie Blanc by 0.07 seconds with Czech Ester Ledecka third. It was 21-year-old Blanc's first World Cup podium.
Overall defending champion Lara Gut-Behrami was only 13th while Sofia Goggia, the 2018 Olympic champion, fell but was unhurt.
Austrian Cornelia Hütter, seventh in the race, still leads the discipline standings and technical specialist Zrinka Ljutic of Croatia, not in action in St Anton, tops the overall World Cup.
Frenchman Clement Noel narrowly won a men's World Cup slalom in Adelboden in neighbouring Switzerland after a storming second run.
The Olympic champion set a combined 1:51.53 to beat Lucas Pinheiro Braathen, who produced his best slalom display since returning to the sport, by just 0.02 seconds.
Henrik Kristoffersen was third as the Norwegian took over at the top of the slalom standings. He is second behind Swiss Marco Odermatt overall.
Austrian Manuel Feller led after the first run but skied out.
A men's giant slalom and women's super-g follow on Sunday.