The 25-year-old topped the podium at the Italian resort after clocking a time of 1min 37.08sec and now sits on 1,023 points in the standings, making a significant cut in the lead of United States skier Mikaela Shiffrin, who was not taking part in the race.

Italy’s Sofia Goggia, who was the 11^th skier on the course, had gone in front with a time of 1:37.13, but four skiers later, Gut bettered her effort.

Third place went to Slovenia’s Ilka Stuhec with a time of 1:37.55 and she leads the downhill World Cup standings with 437 points, 77 in front of Gut.

United States star Vonn, who won her first World Cup last weekend following a long spell out injured, crashed in training yesterday and fell again in the spot during the race.

Right up until the crash, the 2010 Winter Olympic champion had been performing well and she was able to walk away from the scene afterwards.

In the men’s downhill at Garmisch-Partenkirchen, there was another surprise winner as Austrian Hannes Reichelt went out on the course first, setting a time 1:53.83 which ended up being too quick to beat.

Just like the previous day’s run, conditions on the German resort where tricky with eight skiers failing to finish and another two, Canada’s Erik Guay and Romanian Ioan Valeriu Achiriloaie, did not start.

It was the first time since March 13, 2015, when he won the downhill race at Kvitfjell in Norway, that 36-year-old Reichelt has topped a World Cup podium.

Peter Fill of Italy regained the downhill World Cup lead as he finished second, completing the course in 1:53.99.

He now has 279 points, leapfrogging Norwegian Kjetil Jansrud after he finished fifth today.

Beat Feuz came third after the Swiss skier clocked a time of 1:54.35.

Travis Ganong of the United States, who won yesterday’s race, finished 12^th today, getting round with a time of 1:55.14.

Tomorrow, the women will contest a super-G race while the men are in giant slalom action.