Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany • A career milestone and a rare family reunion. All of which left Lindsey Vonn in tears, and it made for a perfect day.

Vonn captured her 50th World Cup victory Saturday, winning the downhill on the demanding Kandahar course with temperatures plunging to minus-13.

“It’s crazy. I am at a loss for words. I already cried with one of the TV crews and that is enough crying for the day,” Vonn said. “Fifty World Cup wins is a huge mark for me in my career and more than I even thought possible. I just wanted the 50th win.”

Few skiers reach the 50-win landmark. Among the women, only Annemarie Moser-Proell of Austria (62) and Vreni Schneider of Switzerland (55) are ahead of Vonn. Only three men have 50 or more: Ingemar Stenmark of Sweden (86), Hermann Maier of Austria (54) and Alberto Tomba of Italy (50).

At 27, Vonn is older than Moser-Proell was when she broke the mark, but younger than Schneider.

“My goal is always only to win the next race,” Vonn said later, answering questions in her nearly flawless German.

At the rate Vonn is going, Schneider’s mark is unlikely to last long. Vonn already has nine wins this season. Vonn’s first win was in March 2006 in Norway.

Vonn won in 1 minute, 44.86 seconds. Nadja Kamer of Switzerland was 0.41 seconds behind and Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein finished third, 0.79 back.

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Vonn was 0.62 seconds behind at the second split and nearly crashed midway down the icy and bumpy course before regaining her balance to win by nearly half a second.

Last weekend, Vonn missed out on her 50th win, edged by 0.03 seconds by German friend and rival Maria Hoefl-Riesch in St. Moritz, Switzerland. A week later on Hoefl-Riesch’s home slope, Vonn was not to be denied.

“My sister’s here, my dad is here. Things happen for a reason and I didn’t win last weekend because I needed my family here to help me celebrate,” Vonn said.

Article source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/sports/53446548-77/vonn-cup-win-career.html.csp

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