LAKE LOUISE, Alberta — Lindsey Vonn is in a class by herself when it comes to women’s World Cup skiing at Lake Louise.
After winning both downhills, Vonn capped a sweep with a victory in Sunday’s super-G. The American star recorded a hat trick at the Alberta resort for the second straight year after winning all three races in 2011.
Vonn now has 14 career wins at Lake Louise, and she hopes that’s enough to prompt the world governing body of skiing to reconsider her request to race the men’s World Cup at the site.
“It’s not like I’m getting 20th every day and saying I want to race the men," Vonn said. “I try to let my skiing speak for itself.
“I think this weekend was the next step for me and a testament to why I want to race with the men."
The U.S. women’s team had a banner weekend in the season-opening speed events. Julia Mancuso was second in Sunday’s super-G after Stacey Cook was runner-up to Vonn in both downhills.
Anna Fenninger of Austria was third Sunday.
Vonn felt pressure to win at Lake Louise this year. The defending overall World Cup champion asked FIS in October to allow her to compete in the men’s World Cup on the same mountain. FIS denied her request.
Bend’s Laurenne Ross finished 13th with a time of 1:24.57.
In the men’s giant slalom on Sunday in Beaver Creek, Colo., Ted Ligety easily captured his second straight World Cup GS race with a flawless and fast final run. He finished in a combined time of 2 minutes, 25.59 seconds to hold off top rival Marcel Hirscher of Austria by 1.76 seconds. Davide Simoncelli of Italy was third.
Bend’s Tommy Ford completed the run in 2:30.70 to finish in 26th place.
— The Associated Press
