GENEVA — Lindsey Vonn will attempt to break the U.S. career downhill record set by Picabo Street on the same course where the famed skier crashed 10 years ago.
Vonn, who has nine career World Cup downhill victories, also looks to retain her overall World Cup lead at Crans-Montana. She’ll be making her debut on the slope, the site of the downhill Saturday and super-combined Sunday.
“It’s really not that challenging of a hill. It’s kind of low speed,” Vonn said. “Sometimes courses that aren’t difficult can actually be more challenging because you really can’t make any mistakes.”
Crans-Montana last hosted a World Cup event for the 1998 finals, when the downhill was called off after Street’s horrific crash. She hit netting at the top of the course, breaking her left leg and tearing ligaments in her right knee. Street was sidelined for two seasons.
She returned to complete her career and mentor a promising U.S. teenager named Lindsey Kildow, who might break the record Street shares with Daron Rahlves.
“I only know of the crash from her book,” said Vonn, who was married last September. “It’s pretty flat here, a little bit bumpy in some sections, so I’m not really thinking about crashing.”
Instead, the 23-year-old wants to extend her overall lead in the World Cup standings. With six races remaining, Vonn is 54 points ahead of Nicole Hosp of Austria.
Vonn won the downhill title last month at Whistler, British Columbia, becoming the first American woman to claim the crown since Street in 1996.
“The super-combined is a downhill and a slalom,” Vonn said. “I feel like I have more of an advantage here than at Whistler, where it was a super-G and a slalom, which is a bit harder for me.”
Vonn posted the sixth-fastest time in the training run Thursday, 0.42 seconds behind Daniela Ceccarelli of Italy.
The World Cup finals loom in Italy.
“It’s going to be a tough two weeks because we don’t have any more days off from here on out,” Vonn said. “I think I’ve done a good job planning up to now.”
