Lenzerheide, Switzerland – Squaw Valley, Calif.’s Julia Mancuso topped the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Finals downhill podium Wednesday in Lenzerheide for her first World Cup downhill victory in four seasons. Teammate Lindsey Vonn, of Vail, Colo., was fourth to regain the World Cup overall lead from Germany’s Maria Riesch for the first time since Dec. 27 as Riesch finished outside the points in 17th. And with Thursday’s super G canceled due to weather, Vonn still sits in the lead over Riesch by a mere 27 points.nWednesday’s victory hoisted Mancuso to third in the final downhill standings and to fifth in the overall chase with just two races remaining following Thursday’s cancellation.
“I knew I had to push really hard because I wanted to win. Opportunities like this don’t come around all the time and I took advantage of it,” said Mancuso. “My goal for finals was to podium in every event – so one down and three to go.”
Mancuso gave much of the credit to her switch to Völkl, although she acknowledged that feeling healthy had an effect as well. “I’ve been working through injuries and working hard for the past four years,” she said. “I’m finally back on the top of the downhill podium and it feels great. The switch to Voelkl skis has been amazing. It just gives me a lot of confidence that next year is going to be even better.”
Mancuso and other members of the World Cup field have pledged to donate 50 percent of their winnings this week to the Japanese earthquake relief effort.
“I worked really close with a Japanese skier the last four years,” Mancuso explained. “She’s helped me go to the Olympics. She emailed a week ago asking to give back and help. I’ve pledged to give half of my winnings today and I hope other people can jump on board. Please check out our website, skiershelpingjapan.com to see how you can help.”
Wednesday’s race also enabled Vonn to officially claim her fourth consecutive downhill title. But she seemed most pleased by her return to the top of the overall leader board on the World Cup circuit during the World Cup finals, a feat that even overshadowed Mancuso’s victory.
“I’m proud to be in the finals and still be in the hunt considering I was down 200 points only a few weeks ago,” she said. “No matter what happens this has been one of the most exciting seasons and I’m really happy with the way I skied. I congratulate Maria as well she’s had an amazing season. We’ll see how this week goes and who comes out on top.”
Fourth place was enough to propel Vonn ahead of Riesch in the points standings as Riesch faltered in Wednesday’s downhill.
“I was a little bit nervous a couple hours before the start. But once I got up there I knew what I had to do. I had to really ski my best and I came out there charging today. Unfortunately, I made a mistake at the top and I think it cost me quite a bit of time,” Vonn admitted. “I was really happy with my skiing on the bottom because I’ve had trouble in that section for both the training runs. I finally executed today and made up some time. Unfortunately not enough time but fourth place is a great result. It was another exciting day in the hunt for the overall.”
“I think we’re learning a lot about Lindsey Vonn through this process,” said Steve Porino, a former U.S. Ski team downhiller and veteran commentator working for Universal Sports. “To be down nearly 200 points just two weeks ago and to find the lead after the downhill Wednesday? It’s astonishing!”
Thursday’s super G was canceled due to overnight rain and wet snow, leaving only the giant slalom and slalom on the calendar. At World Cup Finals, canceled races are not rescheduled, and Vonn had already secured the season-long discipline title on March 6 in Tarvisio, Italy as part of a weekend where she also locked the downhill and super combined crowns. Vonn is best known for her speed skiing prowess, so the cancellation deprived her of an opportunity to pad her lead over Riesch.
“In the fight for the overall, every point counts and super G is one of my strongest events, so it’s definitely disappointing to lose this race,” said Vonn. “I’m going to try and do my best in the slalom and giant slalom races in the next two days.”
“With Lindsey in the lead and having all the momentum, today’s super G just might have been the nail in the coffin over Riesch heading into the final two races,” said Doug Lewis, the 1985 World Championship downhill bronze medalist. “Lindsey, who could have easily entered the tech races with over a hundred point lead, now has to dig deep and push her limits in races that until last week in Spindleruv, had seemed foreign to her.
“More importantly for Riesch, she gets an extra day to try and clear her head,” added Lewis. “She needs to somehow stem the bleeding in her mental outlook and find the ‘Nothing to Lose’ attitude that Lindsey has been living off of for the past month. On paper, the overall is Riesch’s. In the starting gate, it is Vonn’s.”
Women’s slalom is on schedule for Friday.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Audi FIS Alpine World Cup Finals
Lenzerheide, Switzerland – March 16. 2011
Downhill
1. Julia Mancuso, Squaw Valley, CA, 1:27.50
2. Lara Gut, Switzerland, 1:28.31
3. Elisabeth Goergl, Austria, 1:28.65