Lindsey Vonn achieved her fifth consecutive World Cup podium finish on January 17, 2026, during a thrilling downhill event in Tarvisio, Italy. Racing in challenging foggy conditions, the former American skiing star secured third place, solidifying her position as a frontrunner ahead of the upcoming Milano Cortina Olympics.
Italian skier Nicol Delago captivated the home crowd by claiming her first career World Cup victory. Delago’s impressive run on the 845-meter course clocked in at 1 minute, 46.28 seconds, placing her two-tenths of a second ahead of Kira Weidle-Winkelmann, who finished as the runner-up. Vonn crossed the finish line just 0.06 seconds behind Weidle-Winkelmann, completing her run in 1:46.54.
Despite expressing concerns about the course’s long gliding segments, Vonn demonstrated her tenacity. She struggled with the Cappia segment, where she was the seventh fastest among her competitors. However, she made a significant comeback in the steep Muro Lungo section by reaching a top speed of 136.3 kilometers per hour, the fastest in the field. Vonn’s thrilling leap off the final jump propelled her into the final sector, where she recorded the quickest time of the day.
Vonn’s podium finish marked her 144th career podium and continued her dominance in the current season. She is the only athlete in the women’s downhill circuit to have consistently finished in the top three across all five races this season, including a win in St. Moritz and a recent triumph in Zauchensee. This achievement mirrors her success from the 2017-2018 season when she also secured five consecutive podiums in a single discipline.
The event in Tarvisio was the fourth World Cup downhill competition hosted at this location. Vonn has experienced mixed results there in the past, finishing just 0.01 seconds behind winner Gina Stechert in February 2009 and securing victories in other disciplines during subsequent events.
Other notable performances included defending downhill world champion Breezy Johnson, who tied for sixth place alongside Italian skier Laura Pirovano. American skier Jacqueline Wiles, who recently claimed a podium finish in Zauchensee, came in 13th. The U.S. team had a strong showing overall, with six athletes finishing in the top 30, including Allison Mollin, Haley Cutler, and Isabella Wright, who finished in 19th, 23rd, and 29th places, respectively.
Looking ahead, the women will compete in a super-G event on January 30-31 in Crans Montana, Switzerland, leading up to the Olympic downhill scheduled for February 7. As Vonn continues to perform at an elite level, her legacy in the sport remains firmly intact, inspiring a new generation of athletes.
This story will be updated throughout the day as more information becomes available.
