Pirovano claims first downhill win as Aicher closes in on Vonn

WEB DESK: Italy’s Laura Pirovano secured her first-ever World Cup downhill victory on home snow on Friday, edging out Germany’s Emma Aicher by the tiniest of margins as the German skier closed in on absent American legend Lindsey Vonn at the top of the downhill standings.

Olympic silver medallist Aicher finished just 0.01 seconds behind Pirovano in the first of two downhills at Val di Fassa, while world and Olympic champion Breezy Johnson of the United States took third, 0.28 seconds slower.

For 28-year-old Pirovano, it was a milestone: her first podium in her 125th World Cup start.

Vonn, who is recovering from a broken leg sustained at last month’s Milano Cortina Olympics, remains the leader of the downhill standings with 400 points, 14 ahead of Aicher, with two races still to go worth 200 points.

Pirovano, wearing bib number eight, is now third overall in the downhill rankings, 64 points behind Vonn, while Aicher, starting 11th, and Johnson, ninth, completed the podium.

The women’s circuit continues with another downhill on Saturday, before the World Cup finals in Norway on March 21.

Meanwhile, American star Mikaela Shiffrin, who does not race in downhill, continues to top the overall World Cup standings, leading Aicher by 139 points, though the German skier could close the gap this weekend.