Nicol Delago (ITA) carved through the fog in Tarvisio, Italy to pick up her first-career World Cup victory. She clocked in at 1:46.28. 

The win, which came a day after Delago posted the fastest training time, launched her up to fifth (from 16th) in the downhill point standings on the 2025-26 Cup season and is a shoo-in to join the Italian speed team at the 2026 Winter Games. The 29-year-old is a two-time Olympian.

The vino will be flowing in the Delago household tonight as Nicol wasn’t the only family member to impress on home snow. Her younger sister Nadia Delago (ITA) placed 10th in her 100th Cup start.

Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (GER) collected her second runner-up finish of the season (+0.20). She and fellow countrywoman Emma Aicher (GER), who placed fifth, will be a force to be reckoned in Milan Cortina this February.

Before Saturday, the last time a women’s World Cup race was held in Tarvisio (2011), Lindsey Vonn (USA) was 24 and a winner. She picked up right where she left off 15 years later, claiming third (+0.26). It was her fifth consecutive podium and sixth in seven races this season. 

Vonn is expected to compete in Sunday's super-G, where she'll have the opportunity to chase World Cup victory number 85, one behind the great Ingemar Stenmark (SWE) who sits at second all time. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) is first.

As has become customary for the American women's speed team, four finished in the top 20 and six in the top 30.

Breezy Johnson (USA), the defending downhill world champion, secured sixth. You have to think she's on the verge of qualifying for the Winter Olympics, as the result was Johnson's fourth top 10 this Cup campaign to go along with a top five. Both are important criteria the U.S. Ski & Snowboard (the country's governing body) considers when selecting Team USA — a process that should wrap up by the end of the weekend.

Speaking of Americans with a strong Olympic case, Jackie Wiles (USA) followed her podium effort last Saturday in Zauchensee, Austria by coming in 13th. 

Allison Mollin (USA), who wore the 53rd bib in the first downhill race of the season, continued to move up the start list in Tarvisio. She donned bib 22 and nabbed 19th. She was six years old the last time a women's Cup race occurred in Tarvisio.

Haley Cutler (USA) impressively placed 23rd from the 42nd position and Bella Wright (USA) was 29th. Keely Cashman, the only American that finished outside the top 30, got 43rd.

The Women’s Alpine ski World Cup tour continues in Tarvisio on Sunday for a super-G. Vonn, Johnson, Wiles and more are all expected to compete in the race, the final one before the Winter Olympic qualification period ends. That means, it's the last opportunity for the athletes to demonstrate why they should be chosen to represent their respective countries in Milan Cortina.