CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy \u2014 Lindsey Vonn skied conservatively in the first World Cup downhill training session of her injury-delayed season on Thursday.<\/p>\n
In foggy conditions, Vonn placed 10th, 0.76 seconds behind leader Ragnhild Mowinckel of Norway, and was a bit shaky landing the final jump on the Olympia delle Tofane course.<\/p>\n
“I was really happy to be back in the starting gate. I was a little bit nervous \u2014 a couple more butterflies than normal,” Vonn said. “I didn’t take any risks. I was a little bit round and conservative but I skied cleanly and for the most part executed the line the way I wanted to. The last jump is a little bit of a kicker.”<\/p>\n
Vonn, who injured her left knee in November, will return to competition in downhill races on Friday and Saturday, followed by a super-G on Sunday . She plans to retire next season.<\/p>\n
The American needs five more wins to break the all-time victories record of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark. Vonn already holds the record of 12 wins in Cortina.<\/p>\n
Tamara Tippler of Austria placed second in training, 0.06 seconds behind Mowinckel, and Romane Miradoli of France was third, 0.39 back. There were several delays due to the fog.<\/p>\n
“I had a lot of fun but I was a little surprised after Tofana (a chute between two massive walls of rock) how much air I got, and I was just getting my bearings for a minute after that,” Vonn said. “I skied a little bit too round in that section but otherwise it was kind of just business as usual. \u2026 By the bottom I felt better.”<\/p>\n
During her eight days of skiing to prepare for these races, Vonn focused exclusively on super-G with one day of super-G on downhill skis.<\/p>\n
“So I haven’t really gotten up to the speed in two months,” she said. “It was fun to go fast again.”<\/p>\n
Vonn did not start the second training session later Thursday, and she wasn’t concerned about a forecast for overnight snow \u2014 even though her comeback was already delayed a week when nine feet (three meters) of snow forced the cancellation of last weekend’s races in St. Anton, Austria.<\/p>\n
“It’s not going to snow that much,” Vonn said. “I’ve seen Cortina have a meter of snow and have a race so I am not concerned about that. My concern is just getting my knees iced up and getting prepared for the race tomorrow. That’s all that’s on my mind. I know that we’re going to have a race tomorrow.”<\/p>\n
Reaction to Vonn’s return was mixed.<\/p>\n
“I race against time and against (the) course, so if she’s here or not or if anyone is missing or not it doesn’t really change a lot,” said Slovenian rival Ilka Stuhec, the reigning downhill world champion who won back-to-back speed races in Val Gardena last month.<\/p>\n
Added Mowinckel, who won the Olympic downhill silver medal, one spot ahead of Vonn, “She’s a big icon here so it’s cool to have her back. \u2026 That’s the best part, when all the competitors can be there in races.”<\/p>\n
Several skiers fell in the second training run, which was held amid snowfall and thicker fog.<\/p>\n
Ester Ledecka, the Czech skier-snowboarder who won the Olympic super-G, lost control and slid down the hill for a ways then got back up and finished her run. She said she was not injured.<\/p>\n
Swiss racer Jasmine Flury and Ricarda Haaser also crashed.<\/p>\n
Corine Suter of Switzerland led the second session, 0.27 ahead of Cornelia Huetter of Austria and 0.36 ahead of Stuhec.<\/p>\n