CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, Italy — Elite female ski racers, coaches and technicians sip cappuccino on the sun-drenched deck of the Rifugio Duca d’Aosta lodge while gazing in awe at the Schuss, the most harrowing section of Cortina’s Olympia delle Tofane downhill course.
The precipitous and shaded 64-degree pitch is flanked by towering spires, a majestic sight near the top of the famed piste with a ski racing history dating to the 1956 Winter Olympics.
It is a technically demanding 1.65-mile course that Lindsey Vonn has thrived upon, achieving nine career victories, entering downhill and super-G races this weekend.