LAKE LOUISE, Alta. - Lindsey Vonn felt pressure to win the season-opening World Cup downhill at Lake Louise, even though she is the most dominant ski racer there.
When the American ski star crossed the finish line Friday in a blistering time that no one was going to beat, Vonn looked to the sky and pumped her fists in a gesture of both vindication and relief.
Vonn had upped the ante for herself at Lake Louise by asking the world governing body of skiing if she could race in the men's event. She was denied, but hasn't given up on that dream.
Vonn believes the best argument in her favour is to keep winning the women's races . "When you say you want to race the men, you can't really not win the women's races," Vonn said.
With a time of one minute 52.61 seconds, Vonn was a commanding 1.73 seconds faster than U.S. teammate and runner-up Stacey Cook.
Cook was just a hundredth faster than Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein who tied for third in 1: 54.35.
Vonn collected her 12th career victory and has landed on the podium 18 times at Lake Louise.
Canadian Larisa Yurkiw, the last of the 51 women down the mountain, finished 44th.
Yurkiw, 24, returned to the World Cup late last season after a knee injury sidelined her for two years.
? BEAVER CREEK, Colorado - Christof Innerhofer of Italy glided through a demanding course to win his first World Cup downhill in nearly four years on Friday.
Innerhofer, 27, completed the Birds of Prey course in 1 minute, 41.69 seconds, holding off Norway's Aksel Lund Svindal by 0.23 seconds. Svindal's teammate Kjetil Jansrud was third.
Innerhofer, 27, could barely train in the off-season because of his chronically aching back. After this performance, the Italian skier was wondering if he should ever practise again.
"Maybe I should just take a holiday," the charismatic Innerhofer said, laughing.
Erik Guay of Mont-Tremblant, Que., was the top Canadian in 15th place, while Ben Thomsen of Invermere, was 16th.
