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Bansko, Bulgaria • On a rough and demanding course, Lindsey Vonn showed that no woman rules this event quite like she does.
She captured a World Cup super-G Sunday to become the career leader in the discipline. By winning her 18th super-G, the American overtook Austria's Renate Goetschl for the record.
"The course was difficult, pretty bumpy at some points and very challenging," Vonn said.
Vonn, a part-time Park City resident who also won the super-G race in Bansko three years ago, has 10 World Cup victories this season and 51 for her career.
She was timed on the Marc Girardelli course in 1 minute, 15.66 seconds. Tina Weirather of Liechtenstein was 0.05 seconds behind and Daniela Merighetti of Italy was third, 0.07 seconds back. Julia Mancuso of the U.S. was eighth.
Vonn was down 0.6 seconds at the first split and struggled for control in the middle section. She made up the deficit, however, on the final section.
"I made a mistake in the middle of the course, but in the final part I raised the speed and managed to catch up," she said.
Vonn held a 20-point lead over Anna Fenninger entering this final super-G of the regular season. After the Austrian finished 10th, Vonn stretched her advantage to 94 points going into the World Cup finals. Vonn's overall lead is a massive 528-point margin with nine races left.
Mancuso was 0.65 seconds behind, jumping into third place in the super-G standings. Other American finishers were: Leanne Smith (18th), Laurenne Ross (24th) and Stacey Cook (29th).
Vonn, Mancuso and Smith will compete in the super-G at the World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria, in March.