Vonn equals downhill record

American Lindsey Vonn equaled the 36-year-old record of Annemarie Moser-Proell when she won her 36th World Cup downhill ski race on Saturday.

Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women’s World Cup super-G, in Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016.

“It’s a flawless start to the new year”, she said. Her time of one minute and 12.75 seconds was 0.7 seconds better than Switzerland’s Lara Gut.

Yurkiw finished one second down with Austrian Cornelia Huetter (+1.66) completing the podium in overcast conditions and on a quickly rutted piste that caused problems for the racers.

The American’s victory saw her move to within 58 points of Gut (658pts) in the overall standings. When asked about the fierce competition for the World Cup overall title that’s playing out between her and Vonn, she said, “I think we will have the answer in March”.

Lindsey Vonn won a women’s World Cup super-G on Sunday for her second victory in as many days, heating up the battle for this season’s overall title with leader Lara Gut.

“I didn’t let the pressure get to me and to be tied with Annemarie is incredible so I’m very happy and looking forward to tomorrow’s (super-G) race”, the 31-year-old Vonn told reporters. “I am so glad she’s here today as she couldn’t be in Cortina previous year”. It means a lot to me.

“I just had a bad feeling after (not finishing last month’s downhill in) Val d’Isere, I lost the momentum, I was exhausted, my knees hurt, and I was sick in the end”, she said. On Saturday, she racked up her 36th downhill victory. Vonn called it “a tough course set on this slope”.

Moser-Proell sat in the audience and was among the first to congratulate Vonn.

The next women’s World Cup event is a night slalom in nearby Flachau on Tuesday. She already held the record for most super-G victories with 25.

The bottom part of this course … was the most important part of the course.

Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany skis during a training for an alpine ski, women’s World Cup downhill in Altenmarkt Zauchensee, Austria, Friday, Jan 8, 2016.