One spot ahead of Sofia Goggia. Four spots ahead of Malorie Blanc, the emerging Swiss racer 19 years her junior.

A 15th-place result in the world championship downhill may have marked unchartered territory for Lindsey Vonn on Saturday. After all, the American had never finished outside the top 10 in her best event at a worlds or Olympics.

But it was still respectable, and better than the majority of the 33-woman field.

Having only recently returned to ski racing at age 40 with a new titanium knee, and having hooked her right arm on a gate in the super-G two days earlier while fighting off cold- and flu-like symptoms all week, Vonn called her performance “good progress.”

“Of course (at) world championships I always have high expectations of myself. And when everything is working together, I know what I’m capable of,” she said. “Right now, I don’t have all the puzzle pieces put together. I have the corners. I’m missing some of the middle pieces. But all in all, the biggest goal was to have a plan and execute it.”

Vonn’s long-term goal remains being competitive at next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics. She told The Associated Press in a recent interview that she plans to retire again after the Olympic skiing competition in Cortina d’Ampezzo, where she holds the record of 12 World Cup wins.

“In the start, I put pressure on myself as if it was a practice run for the Olympics, and I did exactly what I came here to do,” Vonn said. “Clearly, not everything is working as well as it should. I know I can be stronger. I know I can get my material to work better. It’s like jumping in a Formula 1 car and having no training.”

Vonn finished 1.96 seconds behind the winner, American teammate Breezy Johnson.

Lauren Macuga, another American, placed fifth to follow up her bronze medal in super-G two days earlier.

“I think that’s amazing for Lindsey,” Macuga said. “It’s so impressive that she’s here at world champs after six years off … And I know she’s just going to keep building.”

Up next for Vonn is the team combined event on Tuesday.

Johnson was literally flying in the women’s downhill Saturday.

Her top speed of 86 mph (138.51 kph) was among the fastest ever recorded by a woman in an Alpine skiing race.

The 38 yards (35 meters) that she soared off the big Panorama jump midway down matched how far the men leap off the famed Hundschopf at Wengen in Switzerland.

“Like the Wind” — her personal motto.

And even though she was the first racer down, Johnson immediately knew she had done something special, celebrating her run with fist pumps and turning to salute the crowd in every direction.

About 1½ hours later, Johnson was still saluting the crowd of 15,800 fans who had packed the stands and lined the Ulli Maier course. On the top step of the podium. A “Weltmeisterin” (world champion) in Austria, the home of ski racing.

Not a bad way to earn your first victory.

“I was psyched because I knew that I had skied my best,” the 29-year-old Johnson said. “I’m just going to enjoy this because I’ve had a lot of times where I gave my best and I didn’t win. … You have to be happy with your own skiing or your existence becomes very sad very quickly.”

Johnson finished 0.15 seconds ahead of silver medalist Mirjam Puchner of Austria and 0.21 ahead of bronze medalist Ester Ledecka, the Czech athlete who has won Olympic golds in both skiing and snowboarding.

Golf

Detry leads entering final round in Phoenix >> Thomas Detry shot a 6-under 65 on Saturday to take a five-shot lead into the final round of the Phoenix Open as he chases his first PGA Tour victory.

Detry had a two-shot lead to start the round after a 64 on Friday and kept rolling with four birdies over his first five holes Saturday in ideal conditions at TPC Scottsdale.

The two-time Belgian Olympian made a 19-foot par putt on the par-4 18th to finish at 18-under 195 on the Stadium Course.

Jordan Spieth — hunting his first tour win since 2022 — was among four players tied for second. He had a bogey-free 67, scrambling for par on 18 after hitting into bunkers on his drive and again on his second shot. He’s gone 45 holes without a bogey.

Rasmus Hojgaard, Daniel Berger and Michael Kim also were 13 under.

Hojgaard shot a 65 after shaking off a double bogey on 15 and finishing with back-to-back birdies. Berger shot 66, making an eagle on 15 and birdies on 16 and 18. Kim had a 68.

Noh challenging 3-time champ >> Yealimi Noh birdied eight of the last 11 holes for an 8-under 63 and a one-stroke lead Saturday over three-time champion Jim Young Ko in the Founders Cup.

After gusting wind slowed the players on the opening holes at Bradenton Country Club, Noh and Ko each made their first birdie of the day on the par-5 eighth.

“That start was a little slow, but I was hitting it solid, making some good putts,” said Noh, the 23-year-old California player chasing her first LPGA Tour victory.

Trying to win the event on a fourth venue, Ko birdied five of the final 11 for a 66.

The 29-year-old South Korean player has 15 LPGA Tour victories.

Noh had an 18-under 195 total. She opened with a 68 and shot 64 on Friday to get into the final group with Ko.

MLB

Ex-Giant signs with San Diego >> Connor Joe is going home, signing a one-year contract with the San Diego Padres, who announced the deal Saturday.

Joe, 32, hit .228 with nine homers and 36 RBIs in 123 games for Pittsburgh last year. The San Diego native played his college ball for the University of San Diego.

A .242 hitter with 35 homers and 141 RBIs in 438 career games, the versatile Joe made his debut with the Giants in 2019 and also played for Colorado.

NFL

Jauron passes at 74 >> Longtime NFL player and coach Dick Jauron, who led the Chicago Bears to the playoffs and was voted AP coach of the year in 2001, died Saturday. He was 74.

The Bears confirmed his death, which came one day before Philadelphia — where Jauron briefly served as an assistant to current Chiefs coach Andy Reid — played Kansas City in the Super Bowl in New Orleans.

He finished with a 60-82 record and one playoff berth over parts of 10 seasons as a head coach, which also included four seasons in Buffalo.