OLYMPICS, ALPINE SKIING. WHISTLER, B.C. - Hobbled by a bruised shin that had her out of ski boots and off skis for several days, Lindsey Vonn still managed to put down the fastest training time in an interestingly divided Olympic training session in Whistler on Monday.

Lindsey Vonn of the United States in action during Women's downhill training at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics in Whistler, British Columbia, Monday, Feb. 15, 2010. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

The women ran the majority of their Olympic downhill training run just before the men's downhill race - on Franz's course, next to the men's Dave Murray course. Then the men's race went off and the women finished up their training from the slalom start to the bottom.

Vonn, her injury greatly agitated by the hard, bumpy snow on the frozen course, still put down the fastest time in 1 minute, 30.75 seconds. Julia Mancuso was the next in line in 1:31.14. Elisabeth Goergl was just a hair behind in 1:31.15.

"I was honestly surprised, really surpsied," Vonn said about her fast time. "I almost went out of the course a couple of times. It wasn't bad skiing, it was just fighting-to-make-it-down skiing. I've never run a course this bumpy before. It's not a feel-good course. It's not a fun course. It's a stick-your-nose-in-it and make it down. If you're aggressive and not sliding, I think you'll be fast."

Swiss racer Dominique Gisin underwent the eighth knee surgery of her ski racing career just one month ago, repairing the meniscus damaged in a crash at the World Cup in Haus im Ennstal. In the wake of this, she is happy just to be at the Games. She was 15th in training Monday and excited to land in the finish area where her countryman - Didier Defago - had just won gold. For her, the gleeful setting overpowered being rattled around by the bumpy course.

"The course is really bumpy but it's great," she said. "It's great that it's gotten a little colder and we're happy that we can race finally. Didier won and we're so excited. Second gold for Switzeralnd. Yay!"

Gisin said her freshly operated knee felt OK on the course but that in order to finish in the medals on Franz's Run, racers will have to be extremely aggressive.

"The course is very bumpy, a lot of jumps, a lot of rolls ... just a lot of stuff going on," she said. "You will be so tired when you finish, but I think the girl that goes there and risks it and skis with her heart will win."

When asked if she thought she would be that girl, Gisin wasn't sure.

"I think it will be very tough," she said. "There's some really, really good competition. But the knee felt good today. I felt really good. Everybody involved in my surgery and my knee did a really good job and made it possible that I'm here today, so I'm really happy about that."

Canadian and Whistler insider Britt Janyk was fifth in Monday's training. She too enjoyed the unusually exciting atmosphere in finish area following the men's race.

"It was good to get out of the start and feel that Olympic atmosphere and energy," she said. "It was cool to go this morning while the guys were running and feel the crowd, feel that energy."

Janyk is no stranger to the quickly changing conditions at Whistler and knows what it will take to win the downhill race.

"It was definitely a bit of a rough run this morning, definitely a lot of bouncing around," she said. "You had to kind of stay with it and keep charging the whole way down. Last night it froze up so this morning it was nice and hard but because it had been so warm with so much moisture it was quite bumpy in places. It definitely runs differently. The secret is you have to be aggressive. As soon as you start to get tentative and back off, you're going to feel those bumps even more. So I was charging it like I would if it were smooth and just trying to skip over those bumps."

Another storm is forecasted Monday night with up to 20 centimeters of snow falling at the top of the course and 10 at the bottom. If the forecast holds true, Tuesday's training run would most likely be canceled.

The women's Olympic downhill race is scheduled for Wednesday and because Monday's training was official, even in the event that Tuesday's is canceled, the race will be run as planned if weather permits.

by Shauna Farnell
FISalpine.com
Tuesday 16 February 2010