Lindsey Vonn finishes second in World Cup downhill race
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Olympic gold medalist Lindsey Vonn finished second in the final World Cup downhill race of the season, maintaining a comfortable lead in the overall title point standings with three races remaining.
Maria Riesch of Germany won the event, completing the 2,920-meter Kandahar course in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, in 1 minute, 34.82 seconds. Vonn finished nearly half a second behind her close friend and rival. Anja Paerson of Sweden finished third, and American Julia Mancuso was fifth.
Vonn maintains a 225-point lead over Riesch in the World Cup standings and stands a good chance of claiming the title at the next event.
‘I haven’t won it yet,’ Vonn told the Associated Press. ‘It’s not finished yet. It’s still possible [for Riesch to win]. It’s unlikely, but it’s not finished.’
Vonn, who won the gold medal in downhill at the Vancouver Games, clinched the World Cup downhill title Saturday. She is still recovering from a broken finger she suffered while crashing out of the Olympic giant slalom.
Vonn could break the American record for most career World Cup wins with a victory in the giant slalom on Thursday. She is tied with Bode Miller with 32 career victories.
-- Austin Knoblauch
