Italy's Elena Fanchini scored an upset win in the women's World Cup downhill in thick fog and falling snow at Cortina d'Ampezzo on Friday.
The 29-year-old, whose only other World Cup success came nearly 10 years ago at Lake Louise, timed 1 minute 9.53 seconds on the Olimpia delle Tofane piste with Canadian Larisa Yurkiw second 00/15secs slower, and Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany at 00.31secs.
American speed queen Lindsey Vonn, who had been out to get a record-equalling 62nd World Cup win, level with Austrian Anne-Marie Moser-Proll, could only place 10th in a time that was 00.88secs off the pace.
She will other chances to equal the record at Cortina over the weekend with a second downhill on Saturday and a super-G on Sunday.
Fanchini found inspiration by watching a video of fellow Italian Isolde Kostner, who won five races here between 1996 and 2001.
"We saw how she negotiated all of the secret points," Fanchini said.
Viktoria Rebensburg of Germany, the 2010 Olympic giant slalom champion, placed third, 0.31 back.
Vonn and most of the other favourites struggled due to the conditions, which prompted organisers to cut off the opening 30 seconds of the course, and which worsened as the race wore on.
"I have no regrets. I skied the best that I could and I just wasn't quite fast enough today," Vonn said.
"But the pressure will be there until I can break the record. I just have to stay focused on the skiing and that's what's going to win me races."
Friday's race was postponed from Austria last weekend because of warm conditions.
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