An emotional Lindsey Vonn declared, "I belong on the podium," after clinching the first top-three finish of her comeback in Sunday's World Cup Final women's super-G race.

The 40-year-old American alpine ski star completed the course in 1:13.64 to finish second, 1.29 seconds behind Swiss winner Lara Gut-Behrami, who captured her record sixth World Cup title in the discipline with the triumph.

But it was Vonn who swiped the spotlight with her best showing since returning from retirement and knee replacement surgery, a result that sets the stage for her to compete at the Winter Olympics in Italy next February.