Lauren Macuga snags her first downhill podium in Norway

KVITFJELL, Norway — Lauren Macuga of the Stifel U.S. Ski Team captured her first World Cup downhill podium finish Saturday, taking second place at Kvitfjell, Norway. Teammate Breezy Johnson finished in the top 10.

“I feel like it wasn’t me yesterday and today I went out there charging and my tuck over some terrain, and got over the outside ski and just sent it,” said Macuga.

Despite less sunshine than Friday’s race, conditions were excellent for the competition. Overnight cold temperatures created a firm surface for the second women’s downhill event of the weekend.

Racing with bib three, Macuga built on her experience from training runs and Friday’s race to execute a near-perfect run. She posted faster times at each interval compared to previous competitors, crossing the finish line in first place.

“I think it was a solid run for me. No matter what happens today, I’m really happy with my skiing,” said Macuga. “I was also trying to be clean and trying to be smart over the jump because that is such a crucial part of this course.”

Johnson, coming off her first World Cup podium in three years on Friday, encountered a few mistakes in key sections that resulted in a 10th-place finish.

“I did my best this weekend, and I’m happy with that,” said Johnson. “It’s really cool being part of a team that’s doing this well. It’s really cool being able to know that all of us can put it in there on any day of the week.”

Germany’s Emma Aicher, who earned her first career podium the previous day, edged out Macuga by a mere 0.03 seconds to claim her first victory. Austrian Cornelia Huetter, Friday’s winner, took third place.

Other U.S. skiers also performed well, with Jackie Wiles and Lindsey Vonn finishing 14th and 16th, respectively. Independent American skier Haley Cutler scored her first World Cup points with a 30th-place finish. Bella Wright did not finish but was uninjured, while Tricia Mangan placed 42nd.