Portugal Colonial - Vonn claims sensational first ski World Cup win since 2018

The 41-year-old American rolled back the years to start her Olympic season in sensational style, taking her 83rd career World Cup win 20 years after her first to become the oldest winner of all time on the circuit.

The Minnesota-born veteran rejoined the US team last season after retiring due to injury in 2019. Last season she became the oldest woman to secure a podium place in the World Cup when she finished second in the Sun Valley super-G.

After going one better on Friday she punched the crisp Swiss air with delight, taking her career haul at St Moritz to six and her first win there since 2015, before her phone started buzzing with congratulatory calls.

Setting off 16th of the 61 racers Vonn flashed down the circuit, posting the quickest times in each of the sectors.

Vonn, who has four overall World Cup titles in the bank, crossed the line in 1min 29.63sec to lay down a stark reminder to her rivals that she will be a force to be reckoned with at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics in February.

She had a staggering cushion of nearly a second over second-placed Austrian Magdelena Egger, who at 24 is almost half the age of Vonn, with another Austrian, Mirjam Puchner, third and 1.16 sec behind.

The unstoppable Vonn has teamed up with retired Norwegian double Olympic champion Aksel Lund Svindal this season to give her the best possible chance of adding to her Olympic medal haul next year.

And this landmark performance puts her bang in contention to add to her 2010 downhill gold in Vancouver.

She will be back on the St Moritz slope on Saturday for another World Cup downhill.

T.Batista--PC