Lindsey Vonn’s coach, Aksel Lund Svindal, sent his congratulations to Giovanni Franzoni after his impressive showing at Kitzbühel. The Italian skier claimed a remarkable win in the Downhill event at the Hahnenkamm Races.
Regarded as one of the most exciting young alpine ski racers in the world, Franzoni will now have his sights on winning a medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics on home soil. The 24-year-old is finding his form at the right time and could be set for a breakout Olympic campaign next month.
Giovanni Franzoni’s Kitzbühel Triumph Draws Praise From Lindsey Vonn’s Camp
Franzoni shared a post on Instagram reflecting on his triumph at the Hahnenkamm Races – regarded as the Super Bowl of skiing. The Italian registered a time of 1:52.31 and defeated Marco Odermatt by 0.07 seconds in Kitzbühel, Austria.
“I felt a bit like James Bond yesterday in a suit, an incredible evening. Thanks to Kitzbühel race club, it was a real pleasure to meet so many new people. But an even more special thank you goes to my lifelong friends who were there, making everything feel a little more ‘normal’.”
“This victory belongs to all of us. I also want to thank everyone who reached out and supported me. I truly didn’t expect to receive so much love. Now it’s time to reset, recover, and start again. See you at the next race,” Franzoni wrote on Instagram.
Franzoni received praise and congratulations from many in the skiing world, including Vonn’s coach, Svindal. He congratulated Franzoniby posting the fire and clapping emojis.
With the Hahnenkamm Races in the books, Franzoni and the rest of the skiing world will turn their attention to the Winter Olympics. Vonn and Franzoni will both have their sights set on success at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Both athletes have been in fine form in the Skiing World Cup this season.
Franzoni has recorded two wins and two third-place finishes so far this skiing season. The Italian’s first win came in Super G at Wengen, and he followed that up by finishing third in the Downhill the next day. His maiden podium finish came in the Super G in Val Gardena (third) in December.
Meanwhile, Vonn has been on the podium seven times this year (two wins, two second-place finishes, three third-place finishes).
Vonn claimed her first win of the season in December in St. Moritz, winning the Downhill event. She then won again in Zauchensee in the Downhill earlier this month. In addition, she recorded two podium finishes at her most recent race in Tarvisio (Downhill and Super G), as well as in Val-d’Isère earlier this month.
