Italy's Laura Pirovano claimed her second consecutive Audi FIS World Cup women's downhill victory on March 7, 2026, in Val di Fassa, edging Austria's Cornelia Huetter by just 0.01 seconds. The 28-year-old Trento native, without a prior podium in 124 starts, now leads the downhill standings with 436 points—36 ahead of injured Lindsey Vonn (400)—after back-to-back home wins.
In Italy's Dolomites at Val di Fassa, Laura Pirovano delivered a smooth run on the bumpy 2km piste, starting 11th to finish 0.01 seconds ahead of Cornelia Huetter. Switzerland's Corinne Suter, the 2022 Olympic champion, took third at 0.05 seconds back after hitting speeds near 133 kph, while U.S. skier Breezy Johnson placed fourth, 0.64 seconds off the pace. Germany's Emma Aicher tied for 12th.
The victories marked a stunning breakthrough for Pirovano. "Today I couldn’t believe it, even more than yesterday," she said. "I didn’t feel as good... I felt so tired because yesterday took so much out of me... It’s a crazy sport." She added, "It's even more incredible than yesterday... payback for all those times the hundredths went against me."
Huetter was gracious in defeat: "Today when I crossed the line and saw the green... I thought it’s my day, but Lolli came in with one hundredth. I am super happy for Lolli." Suter emphasized her return to form: "The most important thing... is to have fun again... and to have the speed again in downhill."
Pirovano's weekend sweep—Friday's win also by 0.01 seconds over Aicher, with Johnson third, replacing a canceled Crans-Montana event—propelled her to 436 downhill points. She leads Aicher by 28 (408), Vonn by 36 (400), Kira Weidle-Winkelmann (351), Huetter (344), and Johnson (333). The discipline title awaits the finale on March 21 at Kvitfjell, Norway, with seven women's World Cup events left.
Vonn, 41, had dominated with two wins and five podiums in five races, chasing a ninth downhill Crystal Globe after unretiring despite a partial knee replacement. But a crash wrecking her left leg at last month's Milano Cortina Olympics ended her season. "I just wish I had a chance to fight until the end," she posted on Instagram. In the overall standings, Mikaela Shiffrin leads Aicher 1,133-1,016.
