Although the big winner in the ladies downhill at Lake Louise on Friday was Slovenian Tina Maze, the main interest for many racing fans was the return to the World Cup circuit of the great Lynsey Vonn, a year after two injuries in 2013 wiped out her 2013-14 Olympic season.
The 30-year-old tore American racer finished in eighth position, although only a quarter of a second behind the third placed racer. At one point in her run she was ahead of the field, but not at the finish line.
If Vonn's form holds she'll be competing at the Alpine Skiing World Championships in her home resort of Vail Beaver Creek in two months' time.
Maze, who won the overall title in the 2013 season and had already won a gold in the slalom in Levi, started 20th and won in a time of 1:50.98 to take her first downhill victory of the year.
Anna Fenninger of Austria was second, nerarly half a second behind, and Tina Weiratherof of Liechtenstein was third.
Prior to injury Vonn had won both the Super-G and downhill races at Lake Louise in 2011 and 2012.