Lindsey Vonn wins first world ski medal since 2011 | CNN

Lindsey Vonn wins first world ski medal since 2011

By Ollie Williams, for CNN
2 minute read
Updated 7:31 PM EST, Tue February 3, 2015
Tina Maze celebrates winning her third medal and second gold at this year's Alpine World Ski Championships following her Alpine Combined success.
Tina Maze celebrates winning her third medal and second gold at this year's Alpine World Ski Championships following her Alpine Combined success.
DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images
Maze prevailed by 0.22 seconds, with Austrian duo Nicole Hosp and Michaela Kirchgasser taking silver and bronze respectively.
Maze prevailed by 0.22 seconds, with Austrian duo Nicole Hosp and Michaela Kirchgasser taking silver and bronze respectively.
Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
The Slovenian is attempting to become the first women to win five individual medals at a single World Championships. Lasse Kjusin of Norway in 1999 is the only man to achieve the feat.
The Slovenian is attempting to become the first women to win five individual medals at a single World Championships. Lasse Kjusin of Norway in 1999 is the only man to achieve the feat.
Alain Grosclaude/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Bode Miller had been setting the fastest run of the day before crashing and severing a hamstring tendon at the World Championships.
Alpine Skiing World Championships 2015 —
Bode Miller had been setting the fastest run of the day before crashing and severing a hamstring tendon at the World Championships.
Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
Miller, 37, won Olympic gold at Vancouver 2010 and is a four-time world champion. The race, on February 5, had been his first since returning from back surgery.
Alpine Skiing World Championships 2015 —
Miller, 37, won Olympic gold at Vancouver 2010 and is a four-time world champion. The race, on February 5, had been his first since returning from back surgery.
Christophe Pallot/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Lindsey Vonn is back on the world podium with her first medal at an event of this size since 2011 -- bronze in the super-G in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Alpine Skiing World Championships 2015 —
Lindsey Vonn is back on the world podium with her first medal at an event of this size since 2011 -- bronze in the super-G in Beaver Creek, Colorado.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Vonn expressed mild frustration at the windy conditions in Beaver Creek for Tuesday's race on February 3, but said she was happy to finish third. Austria's Anna Fenninger won gold.
Alpine Skiing World Championships 2015 —
Vonn expressed mild frustration at the windy conditions in Beaver Creek for Tuesday's race on February 3, but said she was happy to finish third. Austria's Anna Fenninger won gold.
Doug Pensinger/Getty Images
Tiger Woods (left), fresh from losing a tooth while supporting girlfriend Vonn in Italy last month, once again turned up to watch.
Alpine Skiing World Championships 2015 —
Tiger Woods (left), fresh from losing a tooth while supporting girlfriend Vonn in Italy last month, once again turned up to watch.
Alexis Boichard/Agence Zoom/Getty Images
Alpine Skiing World Championships 2015

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Story highlights

Anna Fenninger wins super-G world title with Lindsey Vonn third

Vonn wins first world medal since downhill silver four years ago

Tiger Woods watching again, one month after losing a tooth spectating in Italy

Bode Miller set to make his comeback in Wednesday's men's super-G

CNN  — 

Lindsey Vonn is back on a podium.

True, Vonn has barely been away from one. Just ask Tiger Woods, who lost a tooth when a camera hit him in the face while cheering Vonn onto the podium in Italy last month.

But Tuesday’s podium was special. It marked the ski superstar’s first medal at a World Championships in four years.

The 30-year-old came to this year’s World Championships, in Beaver Creek, Colorado, having just set the all-time record for wins on the regular, season-long women’s World Cup circuit.

And she maintained some of that momentum to finish third in Tuesday’s super-G, her opening event, behind Slovenia’s Tina Maze and victorious Austrian Anna Fenninger.

Fenninger won with a time of 1:10.29 in windy conditions, becoming the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic and world super-G titles.

Before Fenninger’s run, Vonn had temporarily led the field with 1:10.44.

‘Good skiing not enough’

Not that Vonn celebrated her return to a major podium too wildly.

“I thought I skied pretty well,” said the bronze medalist. “I’m happy with the result. I just wish the weather was a little bit better.”

Golfer Woods, undaunted by his dental disaster last month, once again turned up to support Vonn.

His girlfriend last won a world medal in 2011 – downhill silver in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany – and previously won both the super-G and downhill world titles in 2009.

She also took Olympic downhill gold and super-G bronze at the Vancouver 2010 Games.

However, Vonn missed Sochi 2014 through injury. She crashed and tore ligaments racing in the super-G at the 2013 Worlds, then re-injured her knee in a training accident later that year.

“Sometimes good skiing is enough to overcome the weather,” she added following this year’s third-place finish.

“Sometimes it’s not. Today, it wasn’t enough.

“But I have to say, Anna Fenninger skied exceptionally well. She definitely deserved to win the gold medal today.”

Vonn remains the favorite for Friday’s downhill.

Meanwhile, 37-year-old compatriot Bode Miller is set to race in Wednesday’s men’s super-G, despite only having completed training runs since undergoing back surgery three months ago.