Ilka Stuhec ends long World Cup win drought after Sofia Goggia falls in Cortina d'Ampezzo downhill
The two-time world champion triumphed on the Olympia delle Tofane ahead of Kajsa Vickhoff Lie and Elena Curtoni. Mikaela Shiffrin finished seventh.
Alpine Skiing
Ilka Stuhec scored a first Alpine Ski World Cup win in over four years in the Cortina d'Ampezzo downhill on Saturday (21 January).
Slovenia's two-time downhill world champion was second behind World Cup leader Sofia Goggia on Friday, but the home favourite fell when looking on course for the lead.
It was Stuhec's 10th career World Cup victory, and she was visibly emotional in the leader's chair after the top 15 starters had gone down.
Wearing start bib number 30, Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie returned to form with a bang with second place ahead of Goggia's compatriot Elena Curtoni.
Stuhec, 32, had considered retirement ahead of this season but told FIS of her joy that she decided to continue racing.
She said, "I kept going. I trusted my inner feelings to fight on to change the things that I had a feeling I needed to. Now I'm having fun again and winning is really fun."
Mikaela Shiffrin – seeking an 83rd World Cup win to break Lindsey Vonn's women's record – was seventh having been ahead of Stuhec on the clock on the top half.
The American, who extended her lead over Petra Vlhova in the World Cup overall standings to a massive 485 points, will fancy her chances of eclipsing Vonn's mark in Sunday's Super-G.
Stuhec's win saw her close the gap on Goggia in the World Cup downhill standings to 108 points.
Stuhec profits after Goggia fails to complete Cortina double
High winds saw the course shortened considerably from Friday with times close to 30 seconds quicker.
Goggia had had to wait almost 10 minutes to start her descent after Nina Ortlieb suffered a nasty-looking fall with the Austrian eventually able to gingerly ski down to the bottom.
The Italian star was going well before getting out of shape on an aerial turn midway down her descent, and hit the deck on the very next bend.
The PyeongChang 2018 downhill champion was able to pick herself up and ski down unaided, receiving a warm reception from her adoring fans.
Stuhec followed Goggia and built up a significant lead on the top half before stopping the clock at 1:04.73, taking the lead from Ragnhild Mowinckel.
Curtoni was next to go, and had the home crowd excited as she skied the mid-section of the course better than anyone.
She was 0.34 outside Stuhec's time but moved ahead of Mowinckel by one one-hundredth of a second.
Wearing start bib number 20, Lara Gut-Behrami finished strongly to match Mowinckel's time and join the Norwegian in third.
After a long injury absence, Vickhoff Lie produced a superb run and was up on Stuhec on the top half of the course.
She moved into second with Mowinckel, despite being displaced from the podium, the first to celebrate gleefully with her teammate.
With reigning Olympic downhill champion Corinne Suter absent after suffering bruising in a heavy crash on Friday, Gut-Behrami was the top Swiss racer on the day with Priska Nufer just behind in fifth.
Results from World Cup downhill at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Saturday 21 January (top 10):
1. Ilka Stuhec (SLO) 1:04.73
2. Kajsa Vickhoff Lie (NOR) +0.26
3. Elena Curtoni (ITA) +0.34
4= Ragnhild Mowinckel (NOR), Lara Gut-Behrami (SUI) +0.35
6. Priska Nufer (SUI) +0.37
7. Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) +0.39
8. Stephanie Venier (AUT) +0.44
9. Mirjam Puchner (AUT) +0.50
10= Michelle Gisin (SUI), Breezy Johnson (USA) +0.64