Switzerland's Corinne Suter claimed victory in the women's World Cup downhill in Soldeu, Andorra, on February 27, 2026, marking the first race since the Milano Cortina Olympics. The 31-year-old skier beat Austria's Nina Ortlieb by 0.11 seconds, with Italy's Sofia Goggia finishing third. The win narrows the gap in the standings as Lindsey Vonn sits out the remainder of the season due to injury.
Corinne Suter of Switzerland secured her sixth World Cup victory and first downhill win since January 2022 with a strong performance in Soldeu. Starting with bib number 4, Suter posted the fastest times in the first three sectors of the course, finishing ahead of Nina Ortlieb of Austria by 0.11 seconds and Sofia Goggia of Italy by 0.24 seconds. Breezy Johnson of the United States placed fifth, 0.61 seconds behind the winner.
This triumph comes after Suter overcame multiple injuries, including a training accident in December that sidelined her until January. She finished 14th in the Olympic downhill at Milano Cortina earlier in February. "It was not so easy with the injury at the start of the season," Suter said. "Today is a special day for me and I had so much fun on the hill."
Lindsey Vonn, the U.S. skier leading the downhill standings with 400 points, crashed in the Olympic event, suffering a shattered left leg that requires surgery and about a year to heal. Her season is over, allowing competitors to close the gap. Germany's Emma Aicher finished fourth, earning 50 points and reducing her deficit to Vonn to 94 points, with three races remaining. Italy's Goggia, now fourth overall with 240 points, trails Vonn by 160. "I'm not thinking about the Downhill globe," Goggia said. "I'm really living day by day."
Germany's Kira Weidle-Winkelmann placed 11th with 256 points. Italy's Federica Brignone, recovering from a broken leg last year, skipped the race due to ongoing pain but may compete in the upcoming super-G events. "I’m living very much day by day," Brignone had said. "But if it becomes torture because I’m in too much pain, I’ll make different decisions."
Ortlieb, who started third, expressed satisfaction with her first podium in nearly three years. "I deserve this podium after all I've been through," she said. The next downhill is scheduled for March 6 in Val di Fassa, Italy.
