The Vancouver 2010 Olympic champion clocked a time of 1min 29.87sec in the FIS World Cup Season Finals to finish 0.24 seconds and 0.30 ahead of Austria's Elisabeth Goergl and Nicole Hosp respectively.  

Going into the race, Vonn held a slim 35-point lead in the discipline standings over Austria's Anna Fenninger, who could finish only eighth today. 

The 30-year-old was unable to defend her downhill title at Sochi 2014 due to an ongoing knee injury and did not make her comeback until the World Cup in Lake Louise, Canada, last December where she topped the podium in her second start. 

"It's incredible after being out with two knee operations," she said.

"It is just amazing to be sitting where I am today.

"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 ended up winning the downhill crystal globe by 103 points ahead of Fenninger, while Slovenia's Tina Maze took third place in the discipline standings.

The winner of the super-G title will be decided tomorrow, with Vonn holding a slender eight-point lead over Fenninger.

Maze's fourth place finish in Méribel has cut Fenninger's lead in the overall standings to just 12 points.

Norway's Kjetil Jansrud secured the men's downhill crown with victory in Méribel
©Getty Images




Meanwhile in the men's downhill event, Norway's Kjetil Jansrud posted a time of 1:40.86 to finish 0.24 seconds ahead of Switzerland's Didier Defago and 0.31 lear of Austria's Georg Streitberger, and seal the discipline title. 

Jansrud entered the race with a 20-point lead over Austria's Hannes Reichelt, who finished down in 10th position, and ultimately increased that to 94 points to add to the super-G crystal globe he had already won.

"It's pretty amazing, this was the first race this season where I was feeling little bit of pressure but it's an amazing feeling pulling it off," said the three-time Olympic medallist.

"Getting the globe and winning the race is a pretty amazing and I'm just enjoying the moment."

Tomorrow's super-G event will be Jansrud's penultimate chance to add to his tally in the overall standings as he looks to move above leader Marcel Hirscher and put pressure on the Austrian, who will be competing in the weekend's technical events.

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