Lindsey Vonn (USA) capped off a magical 24 hours in St. Moritz by claiming her second downhill podium, this time with a runner-up finish (+0.24).

Emma Aicher (GER), age 22, emerged as the race's winner with a time of 1:30.50. It was her third-career World Cup victory.

Two-time Olympic medalist and four-time downhill Crystal Globe winner, Sofia Goggia (ITA), placed third (+0.29).

American and defending downhill world champion, Breezy Johnson, barely missed the podium, finishing fourth (+0.40).

One day prior, Vonn made history, becoming the oldest Alpine skier, man or woman, to win a World Cup event. It was her first Cup victory since 2018. In an Instagram post, she asserted the result might have been “the best and most meaningful of my career.”

Given the physical and emotional toll the day brought her, a “championship hangover” very well could have been in the cards a day later. 

Not so.

Vonn didn’t let go of the rope, she grasped it firmly and pulled even harder. It’s what she does at St. Moritz. Her final stats at the Swiss resort alone would be an impressive career for any Alpine skier: six cup wins, 12 podiums and a world championship bronze to boot.

Two races into the downhill season, Vonn holds the leader bib with 180 Cup points, which particularly is significant for Olympic purposes given the more points a country racks up heading in, the more quota spots they unlock. On an individual level, more points for the St. Paul, Minnesota native equals a better starting position in Milan Cortina. A better start position affords Vonn a better opportunity to achieve her primary comeback goal of earning a fourth Olympic medal. 

She’s stated her intentions to hang up her skis for good following the 2026 Winter Olympics, but the hot start may throw a wrench into those plans.

“I thought I might retire after the last race of the Olympics, because I didn’t think I’d be competitive for a World Cup title,” she said. “I might need to change my approach.”

Vonn isn’t the only American who has been impressive early on. For the second race day in a row, at least four skiers finished in the top 20, six in the top 30, which includes Johnson. She claimed the wooden spoon. 

Like Vonn, Johnson is on her own redemptive path. The 29-year-old qualified for the 2022 Winter Olympics, but tore her ACL just weeks before, putting her on the shelf. In 2023, she was suspended for 14 months for missing three drugs tests over the prior year and felt “worthless” due to the lack of support she received from the USADA. 

The 2024-25 season wound up being a breakout campaign for Johnson. She collected two world championship gold medals (in downhill and team combined) and a World Cup podium. As she looks to keep the momentum during this Olympic year, she’ll have to do it with an injury. She posted about the ailment on Instagram shortly after Saturday’s race:

“About 8 weeks ago I hurt my back lifting. I am still worried that my back will at any given moment tell me like a snobbish teenager in a movie 'it's not my dream it's yours' and simply refuse to allow me to ski. 

“Two days ago I left the finish area in the worst pain of my life, and that includes the three knee surgeries, the dislocations and the broken leg. I woke up the next morning and cried as I attempted to get my back to do even a basic bridge, cat cow or the scariest of all, to touch my damn toes. 

“I cried because almost four years ago my Olympic dreams ended,” she continued. “I promised myself that I would endure any pain, and suffering to go back to Cortina and make those goals reality.”

In the same caption, she announced she was pulling out of Sunday’s super-G at St. Moritz. We’ll monitor the situation and provide updates as they come.

On the American front, Isabella Wright (13th), Jacqueline Wiles (20th), Keely Cashman (21st) and Allison Mollin (22nd) also shined. For the second day in a row, Mollin earned the Stifel Bibbo Award, which is given to the athlete who wears the highest bib number and moves up most in the ranks. On Friday, she went from 53 to 27 and Saturday, 48 to 22.

The weekend’s race festivities in St. Moritz conclude on Sunday with the super-G. Both Vonn and Mikaela Shiffrin will compete in a highly-anticipated “battle of the GOATs.”