Avon, CO – Calling it the most memorable of her 46 career Audi FIS Alpine World Cup wins, Lindsey Vonn fulfilled the dream she had a child and won at home in the inaugural women’s race on Beaver Creek’s Birds of Prey super G course on Wednesday.

Despite a less than perfect run, Vonn took a .37 victory over Swiss Fabienne Suter to the roar of packed finish stadium. She became the first American to win four World Cup races in a row and tied German superstar Katja Seizinger for the most career World Cup super G wins with 16. Vonn has now won 14 of the last 19 super G’s, never finishing lower than third — and third only once.

“Ever since I moved out here as a kid and was a course slipper at the ’99 World Championships, I’ve always wanted to race here at home. The support that I’ve received from everyone in this community has been amazing,” said Vonn, who resides in nearby Vail, Colo. “This is a day that I’ll remember for my entire life. Of the 46 wins that I have so far, this is probably the most special.

“This morning I woke up and I was really anxious and nervous. My stomach has been in a knot all day. When I got to the start I was totally freaking out. I wanted to win in front of my home fans so badly, mentally I was a wreck. When I looked up into the crowd and I saw all those kids and I saw a lot of American flags waving. It was an incredibly special feeling. I still don’t believe that I won.”

After the race, Vonn spent 45 minutes signing autographs for legions of young fans on hand to witness her victory. School teachers throughout the Colorado ski resort town gave their students an excused absence to go out and watch the race. With 46 World Cup wins, Vonn is now tied with Austrian Renate Goetschl for third on the overall women’s win list behind Swiss Vreni Schneider (55) and Austrian Annemarie Moeser-Proell (62).

The U.S. Ski Team placed two other racers into the World Cup points on Wednesday, as Julia Mancuso, of Squaw Valley, was eighth, followed by Oregon’s Leanne Smith in 11th. Marie-Michele Gagnon, Canada’s lone entrant in Wednesday’s race, failed to finish her first run.

“This hill is a lot of fun to ski and a lot of terrain, you really have to move. I’m skiing consistent so it’s always a good day when you can finish in the top 10,” said Mancuso. “It’s a great hill for women and it’s was really impressive to see so many fans out there on a Wednesday. There’s a few places we go in Europe that don’t have this many fans for Saturday races. Aspen was the same way this year with such amazing crowds. Colorado has been so supportive of ski racing.”

“I know that my abilities right now are higher than they’ve ever been. Last weekend I was really disappointed because I didn’t go after it enough, so this is definitely a step in the right direction,” added Smith. “Our entire team is skiing at such a high level right now and that’s inspiring for all of us. Bode and Ted’s wins were huge and what Lindsey and Julia are doing right now. The talent and momentum on the U.S. Ski Team right now is incredible.”

OFFICIAL RESULTS