Lindsey Vonn wins World Cup overall title to complete US sweep, joining Bode Miller

 

 

By Nesha Starcevic

BORMIO, Italy – Lindsey Vonn won the World Cup overall title Friday, completing the first U.S. men’s and women’s sweep in 25 years a day after Bode Miller won the same crown.

The last Americans to hold both titles were Phil Mahre and Tamara McKinney in 1983.

Vonn secured the title when she finished in the top 15 and Maria Riesch of Germany failed to finish.

“It was amazing today,” Vonn said. “I’m just really happy that it’s over.”

Miller secured his second overall title Thursday when Didier Cuche of Switzerland announced Thursday he would not enter Saturday’s season-ending slalom.

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Vonn became the second American woman to win the overall. She already captured the season’s downhill title.

She lagged behind in 25th place after the first run, but fought back with the fastest second run to finish 11th on the day, more than enough for the overall title.

“I was bummed out after the first run but I knew I had a good opportunity to charge in the second run and I kept charging,” she said. “It’s amazing. It was a tough day today with tough conditions but I just kept fighting and I took it.”

Marlis Schild of Austria repeated as World Cup slalom champion by winning the season’s final race Friday.

Schild completed the two runs in a combined time of 1 minute, 52.78 seconds, while her nearest rival for the slalom title, teammate Nicole Hosp, finished fourth.

Veronika Zuzulova of Slovakia was second in 1:52.85 and Sarka Zahrobska of the Czech Republic third.

Schild won her fifth slalom of the season to finish with 640 points.

AP Sports Writer Andrew Dampf contributed to this report.