Injured Lindsey Vonn loses World Cup lead as Pirovano seals double
Lindsey Vonn has surrendered her lead in the World Cup downhill standings following Laura Pirovano’s back-to-back victories in Val di Fassa.
The American speed specialist had dominated the discipline throughout January, finishing on the podium in every race prior to her season-ending injury.
However, a complex leg break sustained during a horrific crash at the Winter Olympics required multiple surgeries, leaving the 41-year-old unable to defend her advantage.
Vonn had been pursuing a record-extending ninth World Cup downhill title before her campaign was curtailed.
Pirovano’s shock breakthrough
Pirovano capitalised on Vonn’s absence to claim the standings lead, securing victory by just 0.01 seconds on consecutive days in the Dolomites.
It marks a career-defining performance for the 28-year-old Italian, who had failed to reach the podium in her previous 124 World Cup starts.
The home favourite edged out Germany’s Emma Aicher on Friday before scraping inside Cornelia Huetter’s time by the finest of margins on Saturday.
Corinne Suter, the 2022 Olympic champion, finished third on Saturday, trailing the leader by 0.05 seconds despite reaching speeds close to 133kph (83mph).
Shiffrin eyes overall glory
Pirovano now sits atop the downhill standings, 36 points clear of the sidelined Vonn, with one race remaining at Kvitfjell on 21 March.
Emma Aicher remains in contention in second place, though her finish outside the top 10 on Saturday proved beneficial for Mikaela Shiffrin in the overall classification.
Shiffrin, who recently claimed Olympic slalom gold, holds a 117-point lead over Aicher in the race for the overall crystal globe.
The technical specialist is chasing a sixth career overall title and could extend her advantage in Sunday’s super-G.
