Lindsey Vonn Wins 2nd World Cup Downhill at 40 Years Old

At 40 years old, Lindsey Vonn just reminded the skiing world why she's a legend.

The American speed skiing icon won her second World Cup downhill race of the season Saturday in Zauchensee, Austria. With only four downhill races held so far this season, Vonn has now won half of them.

The conditions were far from easy. Heavy snowfall forced organizers to shorten the course, and visibility kept getting worse throughout the day.

Vonn was 0.11 seconds behind the leader entering the third sector of the course. Then she unleashed the fastest third sector time by 0.22 seconds, rocketing into first place.

Her final sector was even more impressive, clocking 0.26 seconds faster than anyone else in the field. Vonn crossed the finish line in 1:06.24, beating Norway's Kajsa Vickoff Lie by 0.37 seconds.

The victory got even sweeter when fellow American Jacqueline Wiles claimed third place. It marked the first time since 2018 that two U.S. women stood on a downhill World Cup podium together.

Vonn's win was her fifth career World Cup victory in Zauchensee. She last won there exactly 10 years ago in a super-G race.

Experience proved to be Vonn's secret weapon. The shortened course started from a lower gate that few racers had experienced, but Vonn had raced from that position before.

"I'm probably one of the few people that's run downhill from that start," Vonn explained. She used her knowledge of the course and her own skiing strengths to take an inside line on the turns, making up critical time.

Vonn has already qualified for the Milan Olympics next month. Two more World Cup speed races remain before the Games, both in Tarvisio, Italy this week.

Why This Inspires

Vonn's comeback story defies every assumption about age and athletic performance. She's competing against skiers half her age and winning, proving that experience and determination can match raw youth.

Her confidence comes from trusting herself. "I felt like I was skiing better in super-G this summer," she told reporters. "But when I got to the races in St. Moritz, everything was working really well right from the start."

Now she's focused on maintaining her form heading into the Olympics, where she'll represent Team USA on skiing's biggest stage.

Vonn's success is lighting the way for athletes everywhere who refuse to let age define their limits.