BAD KLEINKIRCHHEIM, Austria — Fabienne Suter of Switzerland won a super-G race Sunday, while Lindsey Vonn was 18th and failed to finish among the top three in this World Cup event for the first time in nearly three years.
Suter, who was third in Saturday’s downhill, was timed in 1 minute, 9.55 seconds and won for the fourth time in her World Cup career. Tina Maze of Slovenia was the runner-up, 0.34 seconds behind. Anna Fenninger of Austria took third, 0.40 behind Maze. The top American was Julia Mancuso in eighth.
Vonn was the first starter from the top group but lacked the strength to be competitive after struggling with a stomach illness over the past week.
“I didn’t really have the self-confidence, and I didn’t have the power that I normally have,” Vonn said. “I am still not myself. … I just feel flat.”
Vonn, who won both previous super-G races this season, lost the ideal race line several times and had trouble correcting herself. She finished 1.53 seconds off the lead.
It was the first time the Vail skier missed a World Cup super-G podium since placing eighth in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in January 2009. It also was Vonn’s worst super-G result since not finishing in St. Moritz, Switzerland, a month before that.
“You can’t be fast always. Maybe it would have been smarter if I had not done these races,” said Vonn, who placed fourth in Saturday’s downhill. “I definitely struggled this weekend but I am not going to put too much weight into it.”
Vonn remained well in front in the overall and super-G standings. She has 704 points for the overall championship, followed by Austria’s Marlies Schild with 540 and Maze with 483.
Hirscher wins men’s slalom •ADELBODEN, switzerland — Marcel Hirscher of Austria extended his perfect start to 2012 by winning a World Cup slalom Sunday to pad his lead in the overall standings.
He won for the third time in four days and became the first man to win the first three races of the year since Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark in 1978.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” Hirscher said. “I can’t imagine or explain what’s happening right now.”
Nolan Kasper led the Americans in ninth place.
