CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland - It looked as if Lindsey Vonn had clinched the 33rd World Cup win of her career in Crans Montana on Sunday. Wearing bib No. 22, she fired down the course 0.32 seconds ahead of then-leader Julia Mancuso. The two, as they did in the Olympic downhill a couple weeks ago, were standing side by side in the leader's box under blue skies and sun, about to take the two top steps of the podium.

But then, wearing bib No. 29 and much to the delight of the enthusiastic Swiss flag-waving crowd, Dominique Gisin threw down her fastest race in more than a year. Leading right out of the gate, the Swiss skier - miraculously recovered from her hideous crash on the Olympic downhill course in Whistler (she was the one who crashed upon landing off the finish jump and rolled like a rag doll across the finish line), landed her first win of the season in 1 minute, 24.14 seconds.

It was the first World Cup victory for the 24-year-old since her back-to-back downhill wins last season in Altenmark-Zauchensee and Cortina d'Ampezzo, and her first ever in super G. The victory was especially sweet for Gisin since just a month before the Olympic Games, she underwent the eighth knee surgery of her career following a crash that tore her meniscus in Haus im Ennstal in January. When it became clear that the race was hers, the Swiss team shook open a bottle of champagne and all toasted their teammate in the finish area.

Once again sporting her new pink cheetah-spotted speed suit, Vonn opened her mouth in surprise upon watching Gisin cross the finish line, but smiled and waved to the cameras even as she moved to the second step of the podium, 0.15 seconds off the pace. Julia Mancuso, donning large sunglasses and also waving, took the third step, 0.38 off the winning pace. Hot off her two Olympic silver medals, it was the best World Cup result for Mancuso, who voluntarily skipped the downhill and super-combined races in Crans Montana, since February of 2008. It was just the fourth podium of her Cup career in super G (though she took SG bronze at the 2005 world championships).

Mancuso good-naturedly laughed and chatted with Gisin while waiting for the flower ceremony after the race, dancing to the spontaneous song the Swiss crowd broke into for their countrywoman.

Including her Olympic bronze performance and world championship gold last season, it was the 11th straight podium for Vonn in super G. The last time she didn't finish on the podium in the discipline was January of last year.

According to U.S. women's head coach Jim Tracy, the wind was gusting up to 40 kilometers per hour and both Vonn and Mancuso stuck out their speedy runs through a series of head winds.

"We had a big issue with wind today," Tracy said. "I have to say, the girls knew it, we told them they needed to fly low and execute everything we'd been telling them, and they did exactly that. It's absolutely great. This is a huge thing for Jules, especially. We're all very proud of her efforts. She's had her struggles, but I'm hoping all of those are behind her. It's a great way to end the World Cup season."

As the top 14 racers all finished within the same second on Sunday, the other Americans didn't fair quite so well. Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith and Laurenne Ross finished 32nd, 33rd and 34th, respectively, while Chelsea Marshall was 39th and Alice McKennis was among the handful of racers to land outside of the final jump of the course and miss the ensuing gate.

Of the Canadians, Emily Brydon had the best finish in 16th, while Britt Janyk was 28th.

It was Gisin's first World Cup victory on home turf, and she sang along to her national anthem during the ceremony laughing and shaking her head as it wrapped up and her coaches carried her off the podium on their shoulders.

"All of us are really happy for her," Tracy said of Gisin. "That was a great accomplishment for her. She's been through some tough times."

The World Cup continues with Finals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, beginning Wednesday with downhill training.

- S.F.

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  29  515747 GISIN Dominique  1985  SUI   1:24.14  0.00
 2  21  537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA   1:24.29  1.89
 3  9  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:24.52  4.79
 4  18  515170 STYGER Nadia  1978  SUI   1:24.56  5.29
 5  15  195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid  1978  FRA   1:24.74  7.56
 6  19  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:24.81  8.44
 7  20  505483 PAERSON Anja  1981  SWE   1:24.82  8.57
 8  8  206001 RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   1:24.84  8.82
 9  13  196460 MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie  1985  FRA   1:25.01  10.96
 10  22  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT   1:25.05  11.46
 11  2  296427 SCHNARF Johanna  1984  ITA   1:25.06  11.59
 12  17  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT   1:25.07  11.72
 13  1  296472 FANCHINI Elena  1985  ITA   1:25.10  12.09
 14  7  206175 STECHERT Gina  1987  GER   1:25.12  12.35
 15  10  515849 DETTLING Andrea  1987  SUI   1:25.23  13.73
 16  30  105997 BRYDON Emily  1980  CAN   1:25.29  14.49
 17  16  515766 SUTER Fabienne  1985  SUI   1:25.34  15.12
 17  12  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT   1:25.34  15.12
 19  38  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela  1985  AUT   1:25.48  16.88
 20  25  515806 KAMER Nadja  1986  SUI   1:25.57  18.02
 21  37  55882 STAUDINGER Christina  1987  AUT   1:25.60  18.39
 22  23  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria  1989  GER   1:25.72  19.90
 23  28  225206 ALCOTT Chemmy  1982  GBR   1:25.79  20.79
 24  6  515429 DUMERMUTH Monika  1977  SUI   1:25.88  21.92
 25  36  296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela  1981  ITA   1:25.91  22.30
 26  50  505886 KLING Kajsa  1988  SWE   1:25.94  22.68
 27  4  106022 JANYK Britt  1980  CAN   1:26.00  23.43
 28  3  565320 FERK Marusa  1988  SLO   1:26.05  24.06
 29  5  55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole  1989  AUT   1:26.06  24.19
 30  11  295533 RECCHIA Lucia  1980  ITA   1:26.08  24.44
 31  46  537582 COOK Stacey  1984  USA   1:26.12  24.94
 32  31  538305 SMITH Leanne  1987  USA   1:26.20  25.95
 33  39  538573 ROSS Laurenne  1988  USA   1:26.24  26.46
 34  47  296431 STUFFER Verena  1984  ITA   1:26.27  26.83
 35  14  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica  1984  SWE   1:26.38  28.22
 36  24  55766 MADER Regina  1985  AUT   1:26.50  29.73
 37  44  538038 MARSHALL Chelsea  1986  USA   1:26.61  31.12
 38  34  106666 RUBENS Shona  1986  CAN   1:26.67  31.87
 39  35  297910 CURTONI Elena  1991  ITA   1:26.75  32.88
 40  27  55818 KOEHLE Stefanie  1986  AUT   1:27.04  36.53
 41  52  55898 BREM Eva-Maria  1988  AUT   1:27.32  40.06
 42  42  197295 PIOT Jennifer  1992  FRA   1:27.33  40.19
 43  43  196573 REVILLET Aurelie  1986  FRA   1:27.38  40.82
 44  41  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca  1990  ITA   1:27.42  41.32
 45  40  297134 BORSOTTI Camilla  1988  ITA   1:27.57  43.21
 46  51  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth  1991  NOR   1:27.72  45.10
 47  49  196968 BAILET Margot  1990  FRA   1:28.01  48.75
 48  33  297153 CIPRIANI Enrica  1988  ITA   1:28.08  49.64
 49  53  155431 MARKOVA Dana  1985  CZE   1:30.99  86.30
Disqualified 1st run
   48  538685 MCKENNIS Alice  1989  USA     
   32  55806 ALTACHER Margret  1986  AUT     
   26  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina  1981  SPA     
Did not finish 1st run
   45  515782 ABDERHALDEN Marianne  1986  SUI 

www.skiracing.com

  Tweet