Lindsey Vonn returns to the podium after a historic Downhill World Cup victory

Lindsey Vonn returns to the podium on Saturday after a World Cup downhill race that is separated by a narrow margin of 0.24 seconds.

one day later become the oldest winner of a downhill World Cupthe 41-year-old American finished second in a race Saturday in St. Moritz, Switzerland.

After winning the first downhill of the season by almost a full second on Friday, Vonn was only beaten this time by one rider: Germany’s Emma Aicher was 0.24 seconds faster.

Vonn attributed a mistake to making a jump mid-run toward the gap, when she nearly lost her balance for an instant and leaned heavily on her left leg to get back up.

“I’m a little tired from yesterday, there was a lot of emotion,” Vonn told Swiss broadcaster RTS. “I thought I skied pretty well up top, but then I lost my balance and fell on my hip. Yeah, I didn’t ski down like I wanted to.”

Sofia Goggia, Italy’s 2018 Olympic champion, finished third, 0.29 behind, and American world champion Breezy Johnson was fourth, 0.40 behind.

Vonn, who is preparing for the Olympic Games in Milan Cortina, came to first position in her race through the sunny Corviglia countryside. But Aicher, 22, was down next and quickly pushed Vonn out of the leader’s seat.

Vonn skied again the last season after almost six years of retirement – after partial replacement surgery on his right knee, which included the insertion of two pieces of titanium.

The three-time Olympic medalist he told News Sunday morning in March that he “never thought” he would talk about going to the Olympics again. Just talking about traveling to Italy means “you’re already winning,” he said.

“I’ll be at a disadvantage,” Vonn said. “I’m 40, and by this time next year I’ll be 41. But I know my skiing is there. I think I’m actually skiing better now than I was the last few years of my career.”

Vonn’s results are shaping up to make her a top medal contender at the Olympics and capable of competing with skiers half her age. Women’s alpine skiing at the Winter Games Feb. 6-22 will be contested in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where Vonn holds the record of 12 World Cup victories.

Vonn recorded a top speed of 64 mph in the upper section; He increased his speed to 68 mph at the bottom and flew 41 yards on a jump toward the end of his run.

Vonn also posted the fastest time in the final sector, a sign of her improved fitness this season. She said earlier this week that she added 12 pounds of muscle during dry land training over the summer and followed a rigid diet.

When Vonn crossed the finish line and saw that she was ahead of Goggia, she celebrated, thinking she had won. He let out a scream, punched the air with one of his sticks, and then raised his arms above his head, shaking his head in apparent disbelief.

It was Vonn’s 140th podium finish and came in a record 410th World Cup race. The previous record was held by former Austrian skier Renate Götschl with 409 runs.

It was Aicher’s third World Cup victory and second in downhill. She is a rare skier capable of being competitive in all four disciplines, like Vonn at the peak of her career.

Aicher also finished on the podium in slalom this season, placing third in Levi, Finland.

Vonn could aim for another super-G victory in St. Moritz on Sunday, in a race in which fellow American Mikaela Shiffrin is also expected to compete.

Shiffrin hasn’t been running downhill.