Vonn wins back-to-back Lake Louise downhills

American Lindsey Vonn continued her domination at Lake Louise with a victory in Saturday's Alpine Skiing World Cup women's downhill race, her 17th triumph at the Canadian layout.

A day after winning the first downhill of the World Cup season, Vonn captured the second in 1:50.43 -- .07 faster than her winning time on Friday.

"Today I tried to limit my risk but at the same time my skis were so fast and the light was really flat and also it was a little more bumpy today, that I was kind of hanging on for dear life," Vonn said.

"I was trying to be aggressive and trying to still ski solidly but nothing was kind of going my way. I have to look at video and see how it actually was compared to what it felt like. My skis were really fast."

Swiss Fabienne Suter was second in 1:51.48 with Austrian Cornelia Huetter third in 1:51.59.

Reigning downhill and Super-G World Cup champion Vonn has had a magical run at Lake Louise since taking her first World Cup win there in 2004.

Vonn, 31, collected her 69th career World Cup victory, stretching her all-time record, as well as her 13th downhill triumph at Lake Louise. It was her 116th career podium finish.

In 2013, Vonn was injured in a training run barely two weeks before Lake Louise, reinjuring her right knee, and settled for 40th and 11th in downhills and fifth in the Super-G.

The back-to-back wins put her atop the downhill standings with 200 points to 140 for Huetter after two races as she bids for an eighth World Cup crown in the discipline over the past nine seasons.

Vonn jumped to third in the overall world Cup standings with 200 points, 80 behind compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin.

"I still don't think I'm quite to the form that I was in 2012," Vonn said. "The season that I won the four titles. I was so confident in all disciplines. I feel like I'm pretty confident right now but I think I could still be better, but I'm still happy with where I am."
Source: AFP