CORTINA D\u2019AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) \u2014 Austrian skier Ramona Siebenhofer made it back-to-back World Cup downhill victories with another win Saturday, while Lindsey Vonn finished tied for ninth in the second race of her return from injury.<\/p>\n
Siebenhofer, who had her first career win in Friday\u2019s race, finished a slim 0.04 seconds ahead of Austrian teammate Nicole Schmidhofer.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just amazing I did it again,\u201d Siebenhofer said. \u201cThere were many emotions and it was hard to focus on the race again today. \u2026 Sure I had more self-confidence but it was hard to sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
Siebenhofer and Schmidhofer, who are roommates, have now claimed four of the five downhills this season.<\/p>\n
Stephanie Venier, who is also rooming in a triple with Siebenhofer and Schmidhofer, finished third in Friday\u2019s race.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were lying in bed eating chocolate,\u201d Siebenhofer said. \u201cThat was the celebration.\u201d<\/p>\n
Added Schmidhofer, \u201cIt was so nice and cool in the room so I thought (I) needed to join in.\u201d<\/p>\n
Downhill world champion Ilka Stuhec of Slovenia came third Saturday, 0.51 behind, for her fourth straight podium result.<\/p>\n
Vonn made a slight bobble at the start of her run and then struggled again midway down when she got bounced around on some bumps. She finished 1.36 behind but still moved up six spots from her 15th-placed result from a day earlier.<\/p>\n
Vonn clearly wasn\u2019t satisfied with her performance, holding her arms out wide in frustration at the finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI always hope to win races and when you come down and you\u2019re 1.2 off the lead it\u2019s not exactly a really positive experience,\u201d she said. \u201cBut at the same time of course I had fun and I love being in the starting gate and I love pushing myself.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s just not quite enough in these last two races. But I still have tomorrow and I still have a lot more races this season. It\u2019s just taking me a lot longer to get up and running than I expected.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vonn hyperextended her left knee and sprained a ligament while training in November, delaying the start of her final full season to this weekend. The American needs five more wins to break the all-time World Cup record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark before she retires after races in Lake Louise, Alberta, in December.<\/p>\n
However, Vonn\u2019s right knee is permanently damaged from previous crashes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely don\u2019t trust my right leg as I need to and I can\u2019t create the power that I need to,\u201d she said. \u201cBut today was a step in the right direction. Still not my best \u2014 far from my best.\u201d<\/p>\n
Starting with the No. 3 bib, Siebenhofer increased her advantage at every checkpoint. Schmidhofer came down two racers later and was faster at the final two checkpoints but couldn\u2019t quite match Siebenhofer on the lower section of the Olympia delle Tofane course.<\/p>\n
Schmidhofer achieved the first podium result of her career in Cortina six years ago and this was her fourth podium result overall at the Italian resort \u2014 albeit without any victories.<\/p>\n
\u201cI like the place, the people, the slope. It\u2019s my favorite track,\u201d Schmidhofer said, adding that she was looking forward to the world championships which will be held in Cortina in 2021.<\/p>\n
While conditions were not quite as sunny as on Friday, the entire course was used following Friday\u2019s s shortened race.<\/p>\n
German skiers Kira Weidle and Viktoria Rebensburg finished fourth and fifth, respectively, and Ester Ledecka \u2014 the Olympic skiing and snowboarding champion \u2014 placed eighth for her best downhill result of season.<\/p>\n
Overall World Cup leader Mikaela Shiffrin, who sat out the two downhill races, will return for Sunday\u2019s super-G.<\/p>\n