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December 19, 2010

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Vonn back in form as Zurbriggen grabs win

AMERICAN Lindsey Vonn won her first downhill race of the season yesterday to stay in touch with overall World Cup leader Maria Riesch.

Vonn, the world and Olympic champion, clocked one minute, 51.42 seconds on the OK piste at Val d'Isere in France to claim her 35th World Cup victory, the 19th in a downhill.

It was the perfect response after she finished second behind German Riesch in the first two downhills of the season at Lake Louise earlier this month.

Switzerland's Nadja Kamer was 0.68 seconds behind Vonn in second, equalling her best World Cup result, and compatriot Lara Gut third, a further 0.12 seconds behind.

It was Gut's first podium result since she returned to the World Cup circuit after a one-year injury layoff and followed a decision by the Swiss federation to suspend her for two races for criticizing team staff. "I don't want to fuel the controversy but to have two Swiss skiers on the podium shows what a close, supportive team we are," Gut said.

Finish second

Vonn told reporters the only revenge she had taken was on herself. "I was not too far off in Lake Louise but I was not there to finish second," said Vonn, who finished the Lake Louise weekend in style by winning a super-G in Canada.

In Val Gardena, Italy, Silvan Zurbriggen of Switzerland won a World Cup downhill on the Saslong course yesterday to take the lead in the overall standings.

Zurbriggen clocked 1: 57.21, edging Austria's Romed Baumann by 0.06 seconds.

Didier Cuche, the defending World Cup downhill champion, was third, trailing his Swiss teammate by 0.10.

The 29-year-old Zurbriggen had never previously finished on the podium in a World Cup downhill. He punched both fists in the air repeatedly in the finish area after taking the lead from Cuche.

Michael Walchhofer, the pre-race favorite from Austria, was 0.35 back in fifth after winning the super-G on Friday.

Zurbriggen's 100 points for the win lifted him above Walchhofer atop the overall standings, with a 315-294 edge.



 

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