After almost a year out of competition due to injury, and in only her second race within 24 hours of returning to the World Cup tour, Lindsey Vonn returned to the top of the podium at the second downhill race at Lake Louise at the weekend.
The 30-year-old American great finished nearly half a second ahead of Stacey Cook while Vonn's long time friend Julia Mancuso finished third to complete a US clean sweep after European racers had dominated in the race the previous day.
"I always believed in myself to come back but I never really knew until today. And today I'm finally back at the top. It's an amazing day," said Vonn after the race.
The win takes Vonn one more place up the all time greats list moving from third to second. She needs just three more wins to take the record set by Austrian Annie Moser-Proell 35 years ago in 1980. Although it seems likely she'll now achieve this sooner, it's possible that day may come at the Alpine Sking World Championships at her home resort of Vail Beaver Creek in two months' time.