Italian Alpine Team Gains Momentum with Tarvisio Triumph
The Italian alpine ski team continues to build impressive momentum with less than three weeks remaining before the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. On Saturday, Nicol Delago created a special moment for the home crowd by securing her first-ever World Cup victory in the downhill event at Tarvisio.
Delago's Breakthrough Victory on Home Snow
Nicol Delago topped the timing sheets with a winning margin of 0.20 seconds over Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann. The Italian skier had shown strong form earlier by leading Friday's final training session. Until this breakthrough, her best World Cup results included three second-place finishes and two third-place finishes.
Delago's younger sister, Nadia Delago, who won Olympic bronze in downhill at the 2022 Beijing Games, finished tenth in this race. The Tarvisio downhill returned to the World Cup calendar for the first time in fifteen years, making the victory even more significant for the Italian team.
Vonn's Remarkable Consistency at Age 41
American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn demonstrated incredible form by finishing third, just 0.26 seconds behind Delago. At forty-one years old, Vonn secured her fifth podium finish in five downhill races this season. She was one of only two skiers in the field with prior racing experience on the Tarvisio course.
In her earlier appearances at Tarvisio across different disciplines, Vonn recorded two victories and four second-place finishes. After the race, she explained that while the track felt unfamiliar, she clearly remembered the electric atmosphere from previous competitions.
Challenging Conditions and Race Details
The race presented significant challenges due to fog hanging over the middle section of the course, which reduced visibility for all competitors. Delago briefly lost control when her skis split apart in the foggy conditions but recovered quickly. She then increased her lead at every split and celebrated joyfully at the finish line.
Vonn posted the fastest speeds at both checkpoints, reaching 136.3 kilometers per hour. However, a slight detour into fresh snow cost her valuable time during her run.
Standings and Olympic Implications
In the downhill standings, Vonn extended her lead to 144 points over Emma Aicher. She also moved up to third overall with 510 points. The Olympic downhill in Cortina is scheduled for February 8, with a super-G event set for Tarvisio on Sunday.
Both Delago's breakthrough victory and Vonn's continued consistency send a strong message to the rest of the field as Olympic preparations enter their final phase. The Italian camp gains growing confidence from these results, while Vonn proves that experience remains a powerful asset in competitive skiing.
