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A18 SPORTS
Monday 13 February 2017

Ilka Stuhec is downhill world champion; Lindsey Vonn 3rd

GRAHAM DUNBAR World Cup downhills while
AP Sports Writer Vonn recovered from
ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) breaking her right upper
— There is a new downhill arm in November. That in-
queen of the ski slopes. For terrupted Vonn’s come-
now. back from a knee injury
Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia is one year ago.
the new world champion Though Vonn quickly —
in downhill while Lindsey and typically — returned to
Vonn took bronze trying to form in January by winning
regain her title in another a downhill at Garmisch-
season disrupted by inju- Partenkirchen, Germany,
ries as she targets the 2018 she acknowledged arriving
Olympics. at St. Moritz below her best.
Stuhec confirmed her sta- “I felt unprepared com-
tus as pre-race favorite, ing in but I did the best I
finishing 0.40 seconds clear could,” said the 32-year-
of surprise silver medalist old American, who set a
Stephanie Venier of Aus- world championships re-
tria, who had a career-best cord.
downhill finish of seventh She became the oldest fe-
before Sunday. male medalist, taking the
From left, Silver medalist Stephanie Venier of Austria, Gold medalist Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia and Vonn was 0.45 behind Stuh- mark from Anita Wachter
Bronze medalist Lindsey Vonn of the USA celebrate on the podium during the women’s downhill
race at the 2017 FIS Alpine Skiing World Championships in St. Moritz, Switzerland, Sunday, Feb. 12, ec, who led at all but one of Austria, who won giant
2017. (Peter Schneider/Keystone via AP) time check and clocked slalom bronze days before
the fastest speed of 125.6 her 32nd birthday in 1999.
kph (78 mph). “I’m old and I’m proud!”
“I was not as confident as joked Vonn, who was four
her and she outperformed career medals in worlds
me,” Vonn said of the win- downhills. She won her only
ner. “She definitely de- gold in 2009 at Val d’Isere,
served the gold medal to- France.
day. The bronze feels to me Vonn might have missed
like gold.” the podium, finishing just
The victory was a shared 0.07 ahead of fourth-
triumph for the Stuhec fam- placed Sofia Goggia of
ily. Her mother, Darja, is the Italy who was fastest at the
technician preparing her final time check before los-
race skis. ing her racing line.
“I can’t describe it,” said Indeed, Goggia could
Stuhec, whose mother be- have taken the title but
gan working with her after relied on an agile recov-
several knee injuries cost ery just to complete the
her funding from Slovenia’s course when her skis al-
ski federation. “It’s amaz- most crossed. She shouted
ing where we have come in frustration upon crossing
since then.” the finish line.
Stuhec kept the world title “I saw she was crying and
in Slovenia as she succeed- I gave her a hug,” Vonn
ed the 2015 downhill gold said of the 24-year-old Ital-
medalist, Tina Maze, who is ian. “She has many more
now retired. chances.”
“I’m honored to keep the Stuhec fulfilled the poten-
medal at home,” Stuhec tial she showed as junior
said. “We are not a huge world champion in down-
nation but we have a lot of hill in 2008.
good athletes.” She never had a top-3 fin-
In a breakout season, the ish in more than 100 World
26-year-old Stuhec started Cup races entering this
by winning three straight season. q