(ATR) Most of the pre-race ladies downhill chatter was about U.S. superstar Lindsey Vonn, but it was a hard-charging, gutsy effort by Italian Sofia Goggia that won Olympic gold
The 25-year-old Italian was 0.47 faster than Vonn, who claimed bronze, and .09 ahead of the Norwegian silver medalist Ragnhild Mowinckel.
"It is always an honor to race against Lindsey – she is the best ski racer ever," Goggia said of the 2010 Olympic downhill champion and four-time overall World Cup champion.
"When I was going through all of my injuries, I was lying on the couch watching Vonn race. Considering all of her injuries, it was inspiring to me."
Goggia improved split by split, finding an aggressive line and winning the race on the bottom section of the course. Her top speed was just over 111 kilometers per hour.
"I haven't found this intensity all season. It was Sofia skiing, not Sofia Goggia."
"I knew she was going to be the one to beat," said Vonn.
Italian NOC president Giovanni Malago, who was present at the Jeongseon Alpine Center for Goggia’s victory – the first-ever by an Italian woman in the Olympic downhill – said it was a glorious day for all of Italy.
"Our country has a strong tradition in alpine – we won all the categories male and female, but we had never won a downhill with a female," Malago said. "It is the first time."
"We are very proud of her," Malago said. "Her enthusiasm is so strong, it is contagious."
Goggia's victory is the third gold medal for Italy at the PyeongChang Games.
Written and reported by Brian PInelli at Jeongseon
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