American Lauren Macuga claimed her first World Cup victory on Sunday in a super-G race in St. Anton, Austria as her compatriot Lindsey Vonn finished fourth on her comeback to the sport.
Macuga delivered an almost flawless run, winning by 0.68 seconds ahead of Austria’s Stephanie Veiner with Italy’s Federica Brignone finished third.
‘It felt like I was pushing it but I kept getting pushed late, getting low in the line but I think that actually helped me to be clean and really go into it,’ the 22-year-old Macuga told reporters.
The 40-year-old Vonn, four-times overall World Cup champion, stood stunned in the finish area, celebrating her best performance since coming out of retirement this season.
‘I feel really confident. My equipment is getting better every day, my confidence is there. Now I just have to get that last 10-15% that I know I can get to,’ she said.
‘I think I was a little bit more active today but the conditions were not easy. I think I made some pretty big mistakes, so to be fourth is something I am really proud of.’
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.