Coming back from two knee operations, Germany's Riesch won for the fourth time in her career, finishing in 1 minute, 51.31 seconds on the Olympic course. American Lindsey Kildow was the runner-up in 1:51.74, with Italy's Nadia Fanchini third in 1:52.06, just bumping American Stacey Cook off the podium.

LAKE LOUISE, Alberta, Canada — Coming back from two knee operations, Germany's Riesch won for the fourth time in her career, finishing in 1 minute, 51.31 seconds on the Olympic course. American Lindsey Kildow was the runner-up in 1:51.74, with Italy's Nadia Fanchini third in 1:52.06, just bumping American Stacey Cook off the podium.
   “Lindsey was just outstanding,” head coach Patrick Riml said, “coming from that far back [30th start] after that light changed so dramatically with the injury … and the long wait. But she was charging; she’s really just about the No. 1 downhiller. She’s skiing so well she can do that on any mountain … and Stacey, getting that first top five, was super. She was prepared well and she put down a good one, too.”
    Kirsten Clark also finished in the points with 15th. Riml cited Clark’s experience for not being rattled when the race was delayed when she got into the gate because Swede Jessica Lindell-Vikarby had crashed. “The sun went away and the clouds rolled in and the light went flat … but Kirsten handled it so well.”
    Riesch, the 10th skier down the hill, had a long wait before she knew she won. “It was exciting to stand there for such a long time,” said Riesch, who injured her right knee last year and the left knee the year before. “With every racer coming down, it seemed no one could be faster. A reason for that is the light, which was really flat at the end. I’ve had lots of bad luck the last years. Today I had good luck.”
    Kildow has won a Lake Louise downhill the past two seasons. “The last couple years have been really successful for me here,” Kildow said. “I have been taking so much confidence from those results. I knew I had to put down a good run to get in there."
    “It definitely was really tough conditions. The light was super flat. I had a better run today then any training run. I pointed my skis down the hill. I tried not to let the light distract me.”
    Kildow was thrilled to put the disappointment of Aspen behind her. “Yeah, I was really confident. Aspen was tech events and this was downhill, which for me is a whole different game. Much more mental. Even from the first training run I felt confident. Confident on my skis and I felt good. I really wanted it today.”
    “If anyone was going to bump me off the podium, I’m glad it was Lyns,” Cook said. “I’ve had success up here in the past, and I’ve been training well and had a good summer.”
    Another downhill is scheduled for Saturday, with the super G on Sunday.

— SR's Hilary Lund and Nathaniel Vinton contributed to this report 

THE SCOOP

By Hank McKee

Equipment
Lake Louise, Alberta, Dec. 1, 2006
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
2 Kildow, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
3 Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look
4 Cook, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Fischbacher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6 Vanderbeek, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
7 Merighetti, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
8 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
9 Jacquemod, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
10 Casanova, Head/Head/Tyrolia

Women’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta, Dec. 1, 2006. … It is the fourth race of the women’s 36-event 2007 World Cup schedule. … It is the first of nine scheduled women’s downhills. … It is the third of five World Cup races slated for Lake Louise this season, but the first of three for the women.
    It is the fourth career victory for Maria Riesch and her second in DH, the first coming from Haus im Ennstal Jan. 30, 2004. … Her previous best at Lake Louise had been eighth, also in DH, from Dec. 5, 2003. … It is the 11^th German win at Lake Louise the last from Hilde Gerg Dec. 4, 2004. … It is the first German win in DH in nearly two years, the last coming from Max Rauffer at Val Gardena Dec. 18, 2004. … It is the third scoring result for Riesch this season, the next-best 17^th in GS at Aspen Nov. 25.
    It is the 14^th career podium for Lindsey Kildow and her fourth from Lake Louise, where she has won twice (Dec. 3, 2004 and Dec. 3 2005). … Picabo Street is the only other American to have three podiums from Lake Louise while Kirsten Clark and Bode Miller have each won twice at the site.
    It is the first career podium for Nadia Fanchini, her previous best result being a fifth in DH at Are to close last season. … She is the second Italian to finish third in a Lake Louise DH this season, matching Peter Fill’s result from Nov. 25. … Her sister Elena Fanchini won at Lake Louise Dec. 2, 2005. … The retired Italian star Isolde Kostner amassed 10 podiums at the site.
    Fourth is a career-best result for Stacey Cook, bettering an eighth, also in DH and also at Lake Louise (Dec. 3, 2005). … Cook’s top-three results have all come at the Canadian World Cup site. … Kelly VanderBeek matched her second-best career result in sixth, but it is her best DH placing. … Her best score is a fourth in SG at Hafjell-Kvitfjell March 3, 2006. … It is the 58^th time Kirsten Clark has placed 15^th or better in her career. … The 13^th time she has done so at Lake Louise. … It is the 18^th-best of 25 scoring results for Britt Janyk’s career, the best result she has ever posted in Canada. … Sherry Lawrence matched her second-best career result, her best an 11^th coming at Val d’Isere in December of 2005. … It was the 65^th career scoring result for Emily Brydon. … Her 11^th at Lake Louise. … Shona Rubens missed scoring by a tenth of a second.
    Winning margin was .43 of a second. … Top four were within the same second. … Top 17 within two. … Nicole Hosp (8th in race) leads the overall standings 242-213 over Marlies Schild (18th in race). … Kildow is the top American in eighth with 95 pts.

Lake Louise women's World Cup downhill results

Did not finish 1st run :

SIMARD Genevieve (CAN), BENT Nike (SWE), LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica (SWE)