Lindsey Vonn impresses on World Cup return after coming out of retirement

Three-time Olympic skiing medallist Lindsey Vonn marked her World Cup return after more than five years away from the sport with an impressive 14th place in the Super G at St Moritz.

The American, 40, retired in February 2019 but announced her competitive comeback in November having had successful knee surgery.

Vonn, who is aiming to make the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, crossed the finish line in 1:16.36 in Switzerland, 1.18 seconds slower than winner Cornelia Hutter of Austria.

“I felt really good, there’s definitely a lot I have left to give,” Vonn told Eurosport.

“I really wanted to get to the finish today and be solid. I didn’t want to risk too much, today was not the day to do anything special.

“It feels so good to have the nerves, to have the butterflies, to have the adrenaline, and to push yourself.

“I think this is the perfect start and I look forward to trying to improve every race.”

She made her competitive return in Copper Mountain, Colorado, earlier this month, where she finished 24th out of 45 skiers in her first of two downhill races at the FIS Fall Festival, and 27th in her second.

Vonn won Olympic downhill gold at the Winter Games in Vancouver in 2010, where she also took bronze in the Super-G. She claimed another downhill bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018.

She made her World Cup debut aged 16 in 2000 and went on to win 20 World Cup titles (including four overall Crystal Globes) and eight World Championship medals, with 137 World Cup podiums and 82 World Cup victories.

The American will race again on Sunday in another Super G event at St Moritz.