“I honestly thought with my start number that I had no chance, because there’s so much snow and there wasn’t really a track at number six,” Vonn, who now has 84 career World Cup wins across all disciplines, told TNT Sports.
“I had to risk a lot with my line to really stay in the hunt. I think I executed my plan really well, I brought good intensity to my race.
“Again, I thought I had no chance so I just swung really hard. I was like ‘I could be last, I could be first. I have no idea but I’m going to do my best’.”
Vonn, who has one gold and two bronze Olympic medals, is on track to represent the United States at the Milano-Cortina Winter Games, which run from 6-22 February.