Lara Gut of Switzerland profited from Lindsey Vonn's bad luck to win a World Cup downhill on Saturday in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
In Vonn's first start since setting the all-time World Cup wins record last Monday, her race unraveled when she hit a rut midway down the new Engiadina course while trailing 0.05 seconds behind Gut's time split.
Vonn was pushed wide into soft snow and lost all speed before finishing more than two seconds back in the final downhill before the Alpine world championships next month at Vail-Beaver Creek, Colo., where she lives.
"It's disappointing but at the same time I skied well, just that one mistake," Vonn, who placed 23rd, told the Associated Press.
Gut raced down in 1 minute, 43.82 seconds to get the downhill victory that home fans had wanted since, at age 16, she first made a World Cup impact as a third-place finisher in 2008.
"It's cool for me to finally find a way back," said Gut, who likely would have won seven years ago but for crashing and tumbling sideways across the finish line. "Of course, it's a special feeling here."
newsmakers
Penalized: Actor/race car driver Patrick Dempsey, who was flagged for improperly passing during a wave around at the Rolex 24 at Daytona, putting his Porsche team in a deep hole.
Returning: Lane Kiffin as Alabama's offensive coordinator. Kiffin reportedly had been a candidate to become offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers.
