Alpine skiing-Vonn takes Zauchensee downhill for 84th World Cup win

ZAUCHENSEE, Austria, Jan 10 (Reuters) - U.S. speed queen Lindsey Vonn continued her astonishing, age-defying comeback with a downhill victory in Zauchensee, Austria, on Saturday to take her career World Cup Alpine skiing win tally to 84.

The 41-year-old's second success and fourth podium from four downhills this season increased Vonn's lead in the World Cup standings and cemented her favourite status for next month's Milano Cortina Olympics.

Already the oldest World Cup winner of all time, Vonn was fastest by 0.37 of a second from Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie with a run of one minute 06.24 seconds on a cold and cloudy morning with snow falling.

American Jacqueline Wiles completed the podium, 0.48 slower than Vonn, on a piste shortened after Friday's training was cancelled due to heavy snowfall.

"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 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'."

As the 2010 Olympic downhill champion continued to make critics eat their words with her remarkable form after returning last year following knee surgery, one rival returned and another was flown off the piste by helicopter after a nasty crash.

Reigning Olympic champion Corinne Suter made her return from a month-long injury absence after a muscle tear in a boost for Swiss hopes although she was outside the top 20 and said she still had a long way to go.

There was dismay for Austria when Magdalena Egger crashed into the side netting and, despite getting back on to her feet with a bloodied nose, was put on a stretcher and evacuated from the slope by helicopter.

Egger, second to Vonn in St Moritz last month, lost her balance with her ski tips crossing before she went down and became tangled in the netting, leading to a 25-minute race interruption.