5 U.S. women in top 30 in downhill; Vonn dominates

By USSA

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta — Lindsey Vonn of Vail rocketed to her second Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhill win in as many days Saturday to notch the 44th victory of her career and 10th in Lake Louise.

Vonn has now stood on the top of the podium in three of the four World Cup races she’s started this season including a giant slalom victory on the opening World Cup event in Soelden, Austria. The decisive 1.68 second victory was the second largest margin of victory in her career following the blistering 1.95 gap she put on the rest of the World Cup field Friday in the opening Winterstart race.

“It would be great to ski well again (Sunda) and go into the super G at Beaver Creek with a lot of momentum. I’m really excited to get back home to Vail and race in front of my hometown fans,” Vonn, who has been having back issues, said.

French racer Marie Marchand-Arvier was second with 2011 downhill World Champion Elisabeth Goergl of Austria in third. Stacey Cook of Mammoth was ninth, Leanne Smith of North Conway, N.H., 11th, Julia Mancuso of Squaw Valley 23rd and Chelsea Marshall of Pittsfield, Vt., 26th as five Americans landed in the top 30 for the second straight day.