Vonn Leads Training Run at St. Moritz World Cup Downhill

Lindsey Vonn, the 41-year-old American skiing legend, posted the fastest time in the opening training run for the women's World Cup downhill season on Wednesday in St. Moritz, Switzerland, signaling her strong form as she builds toward the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Vonn clocked 1 minute, 30.95 seconds down the Corviglia course, finishing 0.59 seconds ahead of Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie and 0.71 seconds clear of Italy's Sofia Goggia and France's Laura Gauche, who tied for third. The session provided competitors a chance to familiarize themselves with the 2.3-kilometer piste, adjust equipment and test course conditions, though athletes typically conserve energy toward the finish line. A second training run is set for Thursday before the season's first downhill on Friday, followed by another on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.

Vonn, a four-time overall World Cup champion with 82 career victories, returned to the circuit last season after nearly six years away and knee surgery that involved partial replacement with titanium components. She placed 14th in a super-G at St. Moritz a year ago, her first race back, and ended the campaign with a second-place finish in the same event in Sun...