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February 29, 2016

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Vonn receives WCup boost despite injury

LINDSEY Vonn defied injury to grab some valuable World Cup points in a super-combined at Soldeu, Andorra yesterday.

The 31-year-old American sustained a hairline fracture on her left knee 24 hours earlier when she fell heavily in a super-G race.

There were initial fears that her season could be over, but, after waking up and feeling better, Vonn took to the slopes and clocked a fastest 57.04 seconds in a shortened speed leg of the combined.

She was back in action for the slalom later in the afternoon and while she was unable to take the 77th World Cup win of her career, she still did enough to place 13th, giving her 20 points.

Her great rival for what would be a fifth overall World Cup title and first since 2012, Lara Gut of Switzerland, came away empty-handed after she straddled a gate halfway down the course.

“Drained my knee a few times and it’s feeling a little better. Going to go up on the hill and see how it feels. Wish me luck!!” the American speed queen said on her Facebook page earlier.

The first run was then delayed for two and a half hours due to poor weather conditions.

Vonn ended the day with an increased lead over Gut, having 1,235 points, 28 points more than her Swiss rival. The race was won by Canadian Marie-Michele Gagnon with Switzerland’s Wendy Holdener second and Anne-Sophie Barthet of France third.

In Hinterstoder, Austria‚ Alexis Pinturault of France won a men’s World Cup giant slalom by a huge margin yesterday for his third straight victory in the discipline.

Overcoming a bruised leg, the Olympic bronze medalist posted the fastest time in both runs to lead second-place Marcel Hirscher of Austria by 1.14 seconds.

Hirscher’s main rival for the overall title, Henrik Kristoffersen of Norway, finished 1.26 back in third. The Austrian extended his lead to 283 points.

Felix Neureuther of Germany, who was second after the opening run, dropped to sixth.

Pinturault also won a GS here on Friday, and triumphed in Yuzawa Naeba, Japan, two weeks ago.

With three races left this season, the Frenchman was trailing Hirscher by 131 points in the discipline standings.




 

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