March 18--Lindsey Vonn moved closer to the record of another Alpine skiing legend Wednesday.
A victory in the downhill at the World Cup Finals in Meribel, France, gave Vonn the season title in the discipline.
It was the 18th season title of her career, leaving her one short of the mark set by Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark. She can tie that record in Thursday's Super-G, in which she has a slim lead in the season standings over Austria's Anna Fenninger.
That the downhill title came in Vonn's comeback season after losing most of the previous two to major knee surgeries made it more satisfying.
"It's incredible after being out with two knee operations," Vonn told reporters in France. "It is just amazing to be sitting where I am today."
Wednesday's victory was Vonn's seventh of a season in which she passed Austria's Annemarie Moser-Proell as the women's career leader in World Cup wins. Only Stenmark (86) has more than Vonn's 66.
She has won seven downhill season titles, matching Moser-Proell as the career leader in that category. Vonn, 30, also has won four in Super-G, four overall titles and three in combined.
Stenmark, whose World Cup race wins all came in slalom and giant slalom, won three overall season titles and eight in both slalom and giant slalom.
