BANSKO, Bulgaria — Lindsey Vonn grew up idolizing Picabo Street.
Now Vonn has matched her skiing hero, joining Street as the only American women to win the World Cup downhill championship twice.
The 24-year-old Vonn, with her injured thumb in a splint and looking unsteady, finished 12th Saturday, 2.19 seconds behind winner Andrea Fischbacher of Austria. She missed the podium for the first time in seven events.
Still, it was enough to give her the downhill crown.
Second-place Dominque Gisin of Switzerland cannot cover the 111-point gap with one downhill left on the circuit.
“It’s so cool to join Picabo as the only American to win the downhill title twice,” Vonn said. “It really doesn’t seem like all that long ago when I met her at a poster signing in Minnesota, and since then I’ve always looked up to her.”
Street won downhill titles in 1995 and 1996.
“It felt strange to win the title then without winning the race, but sometimes that’s how it goes,” said Vonn, who is on course to defend her overall championship, too. She has a 336-point advantage over Germany’s Maria Riesch.
“It’s never easy to win a World Cup title and it’s even harder to defend one,” Vonn said.
Earlier this month, Vonn won her 19th World Cup race to top Tamara McKinney for the U.S. women’s record.
U.S. coach Jim Tracy said Saturday’s race was more about the title than another podium spot.
“This was a day for trying to ski solid without taking too much risk,” Tracy said. “The TV doesn’t do this course justice — it’s nasty.”
Bulgaria’s tough course, new to the women’s World Cup, has not favored the standings leaders.
Riesch finished eighth and 18th the previous day, while Sweden’s Anja Paerson is third overall despite twice failing to complete at Bansko.
