U.S. women solid in downhill

By USSA

VAL D’ISERE, France – Laurenne Ross (Bend, Ore.) cracked the top 10 as Lindsey Vonn’s (Vail) bid for a record-tying downhill victory hit a bump in the road Saturday.

Vonn, the current overall World Cup leader, was 0.13 faster than Switzerland’s Lara Gut at the first split time when she hit a bump midway down the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup downhill course and briefly became airborne. She eventually landed and skied safely off the course for a DNF. That ended her bid for a record-extending 72 World Cup win and record-tying 36 downhill victory.

Gut moved to within two points of Vonn in the overall World Cup standings after winning for the second-straight day at Val d’Isere. Her countrywomen Fabienne Suter finished second, followed by Canadian Larisa Yurkiw in third. Ross led a solid showing by the U.S. women in 10, followed by Alice McKennis (Glenwood Springs, Colo.) in 12, Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain) in 16 and Jackie Wiles (Aurora, Ore.) in 17.

Wiles, the youngest member of the women’s speed team, scored her third career World Cup top-20 downhill result, and continues to gain confidence from her skiing and teammates in her third World Cup season.

“I’m really lucky to be with the group of girls that I’m with,” Wiles said “They’re all amazing skiers. I think we have the best speed ski team in the world right now. So for me to be a teammate of theirs and learn from everything little thing they do and keep growing and learning from them, I’m in a great position right now.”