American speed queen Lindsey Vonn claimed victory in the season-ending World Cup downhill on Wednesday to claim the discipline's crystal globe, the 18th of her glittering career.
Vonn went into the race 35 points ahead of Anna Fenninger and 96 in front of Tina Maze, the Austrian and Slovenian looking to amass vital points in their battle for the overall title.
But the 30-year-old American, a former four-time overall champion, made no mistakes down the 2.6km-long Roc de Fer piste, clocking 1min 29.87sec, with Austrian duo Elisabeth Goergl (+0.24) and Nicole Hosp (+0.30) rounding out the podium.
Maze finished fourth, but Fenninger could only manage eighth, at 0.95sec.
Vonn's victory was a remarkable testament to a hard-nosed competitor who has rebounded from serious knee surgery that required a second visit under the knife to break Austrian Anne-Marie Moser-Proell's record of World Cup victories that had stood since 1980.
After topping the podium in Meribel, the American's tally now stands at 66, four better than Moser-Proell. The win also meant Vonn tied Moser-Proell's women's record of seven globes in one discipline, the downhill, having won six straight downhill globes from 2008-13.
"It's incredible after being out with two knee operations it is just amazing to be sitting where I am today," said Vonn.
"I'm so proud and happy and I really have to thank the people that supported me and got me back to where I am now."
Vonn will have the chance to win a record-equalling 19th crystal globe during Thursday's super-G, in which she stands just eight points ahead of Fenninger.
Swedish legend Ingemar Stenmark, who also holds the overall record for World Cup victories with 86, holds the record of 19 titles.
Fenninger's lead in the overall standings has now been cut to just 12 points by Maze, who accrued 50pts for her fourth place, promising a nail-biting climax to the season.
Source: AFP