Swiss skier Lara Gut-Behrami gets 1st World Cup win of season. Lindsey Vonn finishes 13th

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Swiss ski star Lara Gut-Behrami has finally found a way back to winning ways, with next month's world championships looming.

The defending overall World Cup champion overcame challenging course conditions Sunday to win the last super-G before the worlds for her first victory of the season, while Lindsey Vonn placed 13th.

Gut-Behrami mastered the tricky turns in the middle part of the Kandahar course to earn career win No. 46, which put her in joint fifth place on the all-time female winners list.

“It's nice. I was skiing well since a while, still missing something, so it's great to be able to win again,” Gut-Behrami said.

“It’s a challenging slope, it’s not the conditions where I ski the best. It was a little bit slippery, a little bit soft. Sometimes when you don’t have the perfect conditions for yourself, you stop thinking.”

The worlds take place in Saalbach-Hinterglemm, Austria on Feb. 4-16. The first individual race is the women's super-G on Feb. 6.

The technically outstanding Gut-Behrami was especially clean in a passage that caused many racers problems — a jump followed by a sharp turn left.

She was 0.35 seconds faster than Kajsa Vickhoff Lie of Norway, who captured her first of eight career podiums at a super-G in Garmisch-Partenkirchen four years ago.

Federica Brignone was three-hundredths further back in third, a day after the Italian won the downhill on the same hill.

Sofia Goggia, who was runner-up to Brignone in Saturday's race, placed fourth, ahead of teammates Laura Pirovano and Marta Bassino, as the Italian team finished with four racers in the top six.

Keely Cashman shared sixth place with Bassino for the American's career-best result, and it came on a course where she suffered traumatic brain and knee injuries in a horrific downhill crash in 2021.

“I know it's four years ago but it's not something you really get over that quickly,” said Cashman, who had one previous top 10 result in 68 World Cup starts.

“To start today with a new mindset was something I was really trying to do, and have my personal best in some place like Garmisch... feels really good.”

Vonn finished 1.4 seconds off the pace in 13th, just behind her American teammate Lauren Macuga, after failing to finish her previous two races. The American standout skied out of Saturday's downhill when she missed a gate, but avoided falling.

Vonn returned to ski racing in December after nearly six years of retirement with a new titanium knee.

Last week, Vonn told The Associated Press that she plans to retire again after next year’s Milan-Cortina Olympics.

Last year, Gut-Behrami overtook leader Mikaela Shiffrin in the overall standings in the last two months of the season when the American five-time champion was out nursing a knee injury.

The Swiss skier then had a slow start to the new campaign after missing the season-opening race in October. However, the defending overall champion then racked up three second places in Super-G before winning Sunday.

“It's been a weird start of the season, obviously I was struggling a little bit,” Gut-Behrami said. “I had to find the confidence back, the way to push on the skis again.”

Gut-Behrami has now won at least one World Cup race in 11 of the past 12 seasons, with 2018-19 the only exception. She closed the gap to leader Brignone in the overall season standings to 70 points.

Shiffrin has been out for two months with an abdominal injury that required surgery, but the American is expected to race again in a night slalom in France on Thursday, the final women's race before the worlds.

The start of Sunday's race was delayed for 15 minutes as organizers needed more time to prepare the course after overnight snowfall and rain in the hours leading up to the race.

Ariane Raedler had a nasty tumble when she came off the course and lost balance over a patch of softer snow, but the Austrian got up quickly and appeared to have avoided injury.

AP skiing: https://apnews.com/alpine-skiing

The winner Switzerland's Lara Gut Behrami celebrates after an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

United States' Keely Cashman speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

United States' Keely Cashman reacts after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

United States' Lindsey Vonn speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

United States' Lindsey Vonn reacts after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Switzerland's Lara Gut Behrami speeds down the course during an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Maria Pizzato)

Switzerland's Lara Gut Behrami reacts after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie and Marte Monsen embrace after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

From left, second placed Norway's Kajsa Vickhoff Lie, the winner Switzerland's Lara Gut Behrami and third placed Italy's Federica Brignone celebrate after an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

Switzerland's Lara Gut Behrami reacts after completing an alpine ski, women's World Cup super G, in Garmisch, Germany, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Piermarco Tacca)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

“After months of bargaining, management refused to make meaningful progress on core issues that nurses have been fighting for: safe staffing for patients, healthcare benefits for nurses, and workplace violence protections,” the union said in a statement issued Monday. “Management at the richest hospitals in New York City are threatening to discontinue or radically cut nurses’ health benefits.”

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

“NYSNA’s leaders continue to double down on their $3.6 billion in reckless demands, including nearly 40% wage increases, and their troubling proposals like demanding that a nurse not be terminated if found to be compromised by drugs or alcohol while on the job," Montefiore spokesperson Joe Solmonese said Monday after the strike had started. "We remain resolute in our commitment to providing safe and seamless care, regardless of how long the strike may last.”

New York-Presbyterian accused the union of staging a strike to “create disruption,” but said in a statement that it has taken steps to ensure patients receive the care they need.

"We’re ready to keep negotiating a fair and reasonable contract that reflects our respect for our nurses and the critical role they play, and also recognizes the challenging realities of today’s healthcare environment,” the statement said.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

State Attorney General Letitia James voiced similar support, saying "nurses put their lives on the line every day to keep New Yorkers healthy. They should never be forced to choose between their own safety, their patients’ well-being, and a fair contract.”

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)