Lindsey Vonn is set to compete in her first World Cup race of the Olympic qualifying season in St. Moritz, Switzerland, host of the downhill and super-G races from 12–14 December.

Team USA’s Alpine skiing great Lindsey Vonn has a storied Olympic career that began with her debut at Salt Lake City 2002. She went on to win downhill gold and super-G bronze at Vancouver 2010, followed by downhill bronze at PyeongChang 2018.

Reflecting on her Olympic journey, Vonn tells Olympics.com that it’s Torino 2006, and specifically her injury experience ahead of the downhill race in Sestriere, that resonates most deeply.

“It was a really important race for me because I crashed in the downhill training when I did the splits and was helicoptered off the mountain,” she shared. “I was considered a favourite coming in, and that obviously shattered my Olympics at that point. I thought my career was over, because I went off the jump going 70 (km/h) and landed on my back.”

That moment shifted Vonn’s entire perspective. “I started to appreciate what I was doing so much more because that was the first time I thought, ‘One mistake and my career could be over,’” she said.

Now, after a nearly six-year retirement and a successful partial knee replacement in 2024, Vonn is eyeing the chance to compete in Italy once again—this time in Cortina, with the goal of racing for Olympic downhill medals at Milano Cortina 2026.

Read on to learn more about the importance of the Cortina women’s alpine skiing venue to Vonn and her medal goals for these Games.

Emma Raducanu is still trying to find her true dimension after her life changed in 2021, when she won the title at the US Open at 18 years old leaving the whole world speechless. There is no doubt that that extraordinary triumph was premature in the career of the British star, who struggled more than expected to find continuity in the following seasons while also having many injuries.

The body has betrayed her in various circumstances in recent years, without forgetting that she has changed many coaches and has never found the stability necessary to compete at the highest level. Her 2025 season has been characterized by ups and downs, but Emma has shown some positive flashes by reducing the number of injuries and deciding to rely on a top coach like Francisco Roig starting from the summer.

Their collaboration is expected to last a long time and has already been confirmed for 2026, which will be a very important year to understand the real ambitions of the former world number 10. The WTA tour would need Raducanu to compete to win the most prestigious titles on the calendar, but to succeed in this intent she must take a step forward both physically and mentally. Roig – who has worked with a legend like Rafael Nadal for many years – could be the right person to allow her to have her definitive consecration.

Raducanu wants to shine in 2026

In a recent interview with ‘ITV’, top coach Patrick Mouratoglou criticized the choices Emma made after her sensational triumph in New York four years ago: “I think she has huge potential, but after winning a Grand Slam title she struggled to make the right decisions. I think he has changed too many coaches in recent years. If you look at all the players who have been successful, you see that they have gone through a path of several years with their team to reach their peak.”

The former world number 10 had to miss the last tournaments of 2025 due to a new injury.

Sepp Straka made three birdies and two eagles on the par 5s for an 8-under 64 and seized on some late misses by Scottie Scheffler to take a one-shot lead Saturday going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge.

Straka chipped in for eagle on the par-5 sixth and played great golf just to keep pace with Scheffler, who had five straight 3s on his scorecard to start the third round and was 9 under for his round through 15 holes.

Scheffler, going for a third straight win at Albany Golf Club, has stumbled over the final three holes every day this week — a double bogey on the 16th on Thursday, a bogey on the 16th on Friday, and then a bogey-par-bogey finish.

He still had a 65 and will be in the final group with Straka on Sunday.

Straka seized on the par 5s. Along with his chip-in on the sixth hole, he holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the downwind, par-5 15th. He also hit a 3-wood that landed perfectly in front of the green at the par-5 ninth that rolled out to 15 feet for a two-putt birdie.

He trailed Scheffler by three shots through five holes, and by two shots with four holes left. But Straka was bogey-free on the day and finished at 18-under 198.

“He definitely got it going quick,” Straka said of the world’s No. 1 player. “It didn’t look like he was going to miss a putt there for a little bit. But it’s golf, it usually evens out a lot and I just tried to focus on my own game.”

The only par 4 that Straka birdied was No. 7, where the tee was moved back. That kept players from trying to drive the green and instead tested them with a wedge to a dangerous back-left pin. Straka took it on and hit it to 7 feet.

Scheffler, who went left of the 16th fairway the opening two rounds — one of those leading to a penalty drop from a bush — this time found the short grass and it wasn’t much better. He had an awkward stance, tugged it left into a bunker and the ball buried in the sand, leading to bogey.

He also dropped a shot on the 18th by missing the green to the right — water is left — leaving a tricky pitch up the slope.

“A few unfortunate breaks, but overall did some really good stuff,” Scheffler said.

Alex Noren (67) and Hideki Matsuyama (68) were three shots behind Straka, while J.J. Spaun and Wyndham Clark each shot 69 and were four behind.