Vonn, Cook 1-2 in Lake Louise Downhill
LAKE LOUISE, AB (Nov. 30) – A still ailing Lindsey Vonn stormed to a 1.73 second downhill victory in foggy Lake Louise as teammate Stacey Cook was second to climb atop the first Audi FIS Alpine World Cup podium of her career. The weather plagued race was held multiple times as fog drifted in and out. It was the 54th victory of Vonn's career and fifth straight in Lake Louise. Julia Mancuso was eighth, Laurenne Ross 11th as the best in the world U.S. women's downhill team placed four in the top 15.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) won the first of two Lake Louise downhills for the 54th Audi FIS Alpine World Cup win of her career.
- Stacey Cook (Mammoth Mountain, CA) was second for the first World Cup podium of her career. Cook's previous best finish was fourth in the 2006 Lake Louise downhill.
- It was the 12th Lake Louise victory (10 DH, 2 SG) and fifth straight for Vonn who hit 83 mph on the men's Olympic track.
- Vonn now sits one behind retired Swiss racer Vreni Schneider for second on the women's all time World Cup wins list.
- The last time U.S. women finished 1-2 in a downhill was Lindsey Vonn (then Kildow) and Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) on Dec. 20, 2006 in Val d'Isere, France.
- Mancuso was eighth, Laurenne Ross 11th while Maria Hoefl-Reisch of Germany and Liechtenstein's Tina Weirather tied for third during a race that experienced multiple delays due to fog.
- The race will be rebroadcast at 7 p.m. ET on Universal Sports Network.
QUOTES
Lindsey Vonn
I felt like I had to win today. When you say you want to race with the men, you can't really not win the women's races. I was trying to prove a point today, mostly to myself, but also to everyone else who doesn't think that I could compete with the fastest guys.
I'm so proud of Stacey. She's had the ability to be a podium skier for so long. She really deserved to be there today.
This gives me confidence. The only thing I'm concerned about right now is my energy level. I'm just trying to make sure that I can compete throughout the entire weekend. After missing the training run yesterday I was a little unsure of myself, but once I got in the starting gate, that all went away.
Stacey Cook
I've spent a lot of time on this hill over the years. It's been a lot of perseverance, sticking it out, and it feels so good to finally get on the podium. I really shut my brain off today. I know I can ski with these girls. I've been so close for so long, so today I decided it was time. I let my ability take over.
My whole career has been a lot of ups and downs, but all those downs are completely worth it after today. I couldn't ask for better company on the podium.
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