ST. MORITZ, Switzerland (AP) 鈥� was not about to put everything on the line in her after more than five years of retirement.
Not with her history of crashes and injuries.
Not with her new titanium knee.
Not at age 40.
Vonn took a low-risk approach and finished 14th in a super-G on Saturday, crossing 1.18 seconds behind .
鈥淭his was the perfect start,鈥� Vonn said. 鈥淭oday is just the first step and I鈥檓 not looking for more. Today I really needed to get to the finish. I wanted to have a solid result. And that鈥檚 exactly what I did.
鈥淭here鈥檚 definitely a lot that I have left to give," Vonn added. "Today was not the day to try to do anything special.鈥�
Still, when Vonn came down, the crowd of Swiss-flag-waving fans turned silent in anticipation and all of the other top skiers watched her run on a perfectly clear day in the Alps.
鈥淭o have her back on the world stage is just fantastic,鈥� said Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski and Snowboard. 鈥淛ust the attention she鈥檚 bringing to the sport and the role model she is 鈥� it鈥檚 a big day.
鈥淭hese kind of moments transcend outside of just sports. We see it with and what she鈥檚 done recently, which is just superhuman as well, setting all those records."
Vonn lost time early in her run but nearly matched the top finishers in the middle and bottom section of the Corviglia course.
When she reached the finish and saw her time, Vonn flashed a wide smile and waved to the crowd.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 risk anything with the line. I was a little bit conservative in some sections, but overall I skied really well. Now I just need my top section to be a little faster and I鈥檒l be in really good shape,鈥� said Vonn, who is planning to race another super-G in St. Moritz on Sunday.
Vonn finished less than a second off the podium, which also included in second place, 0.18 behind Huetter, and in third, 0.33 back.
鈥淚鈥檓 really close to being there," Vonn said. "I鈥檓 just not quite there yet.鈥�
Valerie Grenier of St-Isodore, Ont., and Cassidy Gray of Invermere, B.C., did not finish the race.
Vonn started No. 31 under a new wild card rule for former champions. But that still meant going after all of the current top-ranked skiers had raced.
鈥淭he course was a little bit bumpy when I went and so some sections I was a little bit more conservative with my line," she said. 鈥淏ut in some sections I was really fast.鈥�
Vonn cut her career short in 2019 due to a series of crashes and injuries, but then she had knee replacement surgery in April and had inserted into her right knee. Her knee feels better than it has in years, so she decided to come back.
鈥淭he last few years of my career were so much different than they are right now," Vonn said. "I鈥檓 skiing without thinking about my knee, which I really haven鈥檛 done since I first tore my ACL in 2013. So it鈥檚 been a long time that I felt this good and I鈥檓 a little bit older, but honestly, I鈥檓 a hell of a lot stronger than I once was.鈥�
Eight-time overall World Cup champion also took advantage of the wild card rule and returned this season after five years away. But then Hirscher tore his left ACL while training in giant slalom and announced earlier this month that .
Vonn left the tour with 82 World Cup wins 鈥� including 18 in Lake Louise, Alta. 鈥� which was the record for a woman at the time and within reach of the then all-time alpine mark of 86 held by Swedish standout Ingemar Stenmark.
The women鈥檚 record held by Vonn was eclipsed last year by Shiffrin, who now has an outright record 99 wins.
Shiffrin, who shares the record of five wins in St. Moritz with Vonn, isn鈥檛 racing this weekend as she recovers from to clean out a puncture wound she sustained in a crash last month.
Vonn is attempting to enter unchartered territory in terms of success at an advanced age in women鈥檚 skiing.
The oldest woman to win a World Cup race was , the Italian who won the giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, in October to start this season, at age 34.
鈥淚t鈥檚 super impressive,鈥� said Vonn鈥檚 U.S. teammate , noting that Vonn didn鈥檛 have as much pre-season preparation as other skiers. 鈥淚f anybody could do it, she could. The more she gets comfortable and gets kind of back up to speed, she鈥檚 going to be right in there.鈥�
So will Vonn charge harder on Sunday?
鈥淪tep by step,鈥� Vonn said. 鈥淧atience.鈥�
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AP skiing:
Andrew Dampf, The Associated Press
