Fanchini wins downhill; Vonn 10th as record pursuit delayed

Italy’s Elena Fanchini charged down a shortened course amid thick fog and falling snow to win a World Cup downhill Friday, while Lindsey Vonn finished 10th and failed to match the all-time record for victories.
Fanchini clocked 1 minute, 9.53 seconds down the Olympia delle Tofane course for her second career win — nine seasons after her first victory. She finished 0.15 seconds ahead of Larisa Yurkiw of Canada, who had a career-best result.
Fanchini found inspiration by watching a video of fellow Italian Isolde Kostner, who won five races here between 1996 and 2001.
“We saw how she negotiated all of the secret points,” Fanchini said.
Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany, the 2010 Olympic giant slalom champion, placed third, 0.31 back.
The top American was Laurenne Ross of Bend, Oregon, who finished fourth, missing the podium by just 0.03 seconds.
Vonn and most of the other favorites struggled due to the conditions, which prompted organizers to cut off the opening 30 seconds of the course, and which worsened as the race wore on.
Still, Vonn can match Annemarie Moser-Proell’s record of 62 wins in another downhill Saturday or in a super-G on Sunday. However, heavy snow was forecast beginning later Friday, which could affect the schedule.
“I have no regrets. I skied the best that I could and I just wasn’t quite fast enough today,” Vonn said. “But the pressure will be there until I can break the record. I just have to stay focused on the skiing and that’s what’s going to win me races.”
Friday’s race was originally scheduled for Bad Kleinkircheim last weekend, but was postponed due to difficult weather conditions in the Austrian resort.
Fanchini’s only previous win was a downhill in Lake Louise, Alberta, back in Dec. 2005. She also won a silver in downhill at the 2005 world championships in Bormio.
But Fanchini, like her twin sister and fellow racer Nadia, has been slowed by six knee surgeries.
While some racers lose their attacking instincts following injuries, Fanchini is still known for going all out no matter the conditions. With the No. 14 bib, she was the only skier to contend after the early starters.
Yurkiw started No. 3, Rebensburg had No. 5 and Ross was No. 1.
“With the start moved down I knew it was going to be a very tight race,” Fanchini said. “I knew I needed a perfect run with no errors and to take advantage of my gliding abilities.”
Vonn, No. 16, already trailed Fanchini by 0.41 at the first checkpoint, and finished 0.88 behind.
“I was surprised at how foggy it was,” said Vonn, who led the only training session Thursday. “I charged but I still had a hard time seeing everything. ... Hopefully tomorrow the weather is better and we can start from the very top, because it’s such a fun downhill. It’s not the same without the top.”
Among the other top favorites, Anna Fenninger finished fifth, Julia Mancuso was eighth, Elisabeth Goergl 11th and overall World Cup leader Tina Maze 13th.
In the overall standings, Maze improved her lead over Mikaela Shiffrin, who does not race downhill yet, to 272 points.
Vonn still leads the downhill standings, 47 points ahead of Rebensburg, who finished on a downhill podium for only the second time.
Yurkiw funds an entire team by herself after the Canadian federation dropped its women’s speed squad two years ago. She raised $250,000 from sponsors to compete this season.
“It’s expensive,” Yurkiw said. “But it’s working.”