Vonn Adds Third Globe To Her Collection

Vonn clocked a best time of one minute 20.63 seconds on the Olympia course for her 22nd World Cup win.

American Lindsey Vonn added a crystal globe to her collection when she won the final super-G of the season to clinch the discipline's World Cup on Thursday.

Vonn, who had already bagged the downhill World Cup and made sure she topped the overall standings after this week's finals in Are, Sweden, clocked a best time of one minute 20.63 seconds on the Olympia course for her 22nd World Cup win.

Winner of the last five super-Gs she entered, she beat Italy's Nadia Fanchini by 0.08 seconds, with German Maria Riesch in third place 0.24 seconds off the pace.

Swiss Fabienne Suter, who entered Thursday's race with a 15-point lead over Vonn in the super-G World Cup standings, made too many mistakes and came home in eighth place.

Fanchini thought she had bagged the crown when she bettered Riesch's time by 0.16 seconds but a few minutes later, Vonn proved once again too strong for the rest of the field.

"I really wanted this globe badly because I had never won it," said the American, who is also the discipline's world champion.

"The super-G is such a difficult event and I had struggled a bit in it in recent seasons," she added.

Fanchini finished her best season to date with a good second place behind the untouchable Vonn and said she had no regrets.

"It's not today that I lost the super-G globe but in previous races. There was little I could do against a skier who won five super-Gs in succession," she said.

"But I'm happy with my season, I won my first World Cup race (in Lake Louise) and a medal at the world championships. It's a great boost for next season."

Riesch also proved with her third place she could play a more versatile role in the World Cup next season and challenge her best friend and arch-rival Vonn.

The slalom world champion will be the clear favourite in Friday's last slalom of the season.