Vonn 15th on downhill return as Siebenhofer wins in Cortina

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy: Veteran American ski star Lindsey Vonn finished joint 15th on Friday in the Cortina d’Ampezzo downhill, her first World Cup race this season which she skied with both her knees in braces as she returns from injury.

Austria’s Ramona Siebenhofer gained her first ever victory in 1min 15.44sec in a race which had been shortened because of heavy overnight snow.The 34-year-old Vonn had been out since November with a knee injury, but chose Cortina where she has won 12 races, to reboot her bid to overhaul Ingemar Stenmark’s all time record of 86 World Cup wins.

“I always hope that it will be easy to come back and get on the podium, but things have to go my way. I didn’t execute,” said the former Olympic champion who remains on 82 career World Cup victories.

Vonn did well over the sharp, steep part of the course but struggled on the more technical second part, flying over the finish line 1.19 seconds slower than Friday’s winner, with her arms aloft and blowing kisses to the crowd.

Friday’s downhill replaces the race in St Anton in Austria last weekend which was called off due to heavy snowfall.Siebenhofer had the perfect race with the course starting lower down the Olympia delle Tofane piste. It was the first win for Siebenhofer, after two third place finishes in Lake Louise in 2015.