CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Sofia Goggia solidified her status as the favorite for another downhill gold by winning Saturday for the fourth time on the course for next year’s Olympics.
Lindsey Vonn, meanwhile, still has some work to do before she reaches the podium in her World Cup comeback at age 40.
Vonn finished 20th after wasting speed worthy of a top-10 finish with a mistake toward the end of her run.
It was Vonn’s first race back in Cortina after nearly six years of retirement — at age 40 with a new titanium knee. She holds the record of 12 wins at the resort in the Italian Dolomites.
Goggia added to her Cortina downhill victories in 2018, 2022 and 2023. After she came to a stop in the finish area, the charismatic Italian quickly removed her skis and bowed down toward the Olympia delle Tofane course and the big crowd cheering her on.
On a typically perfectly sunny day in Cortina, Goggia finished a comfortable 0.42 seconds ahead of Kajsa Vickhoff Lie of Norway and 0.55 ahead of Italian teammate Federica Brignone, who finished on the podium for the first time in Cortina.
Vonn finished 1.68 behind Goggia. The American standout returned to the circuit last month when she finished 14th in a super-G in St. Moritz. Then she placed sixth and fourth in a downhill and a super-G, respectively, in St. Anton, Austria, last weekend.
A super-G is scheduled for Sunday in Cortina.
Vonn told The Associated Press on Thursday that she plans to retire again after next year’s Milan-Cortina Games.
