WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) -- If this is how Lindsey Vonn skis with a bruised shin, then the rest of the field has no chance.Vonn
showed no signs of discomfort when she won the Olympic downhill by more
than half a second Wednesday, with childhood rival and American
teammate Julia Mancuso
taking a surprise silver medal."This is everything I've wanted and hoped for," Vonn said, her voice choked with emotion. "I gave up everything for this."Vonn
hurt her right shin Feb. 2 during pre-Olympic training in Austria and
had hardly skied over the past two weeks. Still, as the two-time
defending overall World Cup champion and the winner of five of the six
downhills this season, she was an overwhelming favorite."She
had the weight of the world on her," said Vonn's husband and chief
adviser, a former U.S. skier who also serves as a personal coach.
"People were basically hanging the medal around her neck before the
start. That's incredibly hard to deal with."Thomas Vonn was up
at the top of the hill before his wife's run, and the Vonns embraced in
a hug that lasted for 30 seconds when they reunited at the finish."It was one of the most clutch runs I've ever seen," Thomas Vonn said.In a race characterized by several crashes -- including one to Swedish standout Anja Pärson
-- Vonn's sped down Franz's Downhill in 1 minute, 44.19 seconds.Mancuso finished 0.56 seconds behind, and Elisabeth Görgl
of Austria took the bronze medal, 1.46 seconds back.Maria Riesch
of Germany, Vonn's best friend and usual rival of late, finished eighth. Andrea Fischbacher
of Austria placed fourth, Fabienne Suter
of Switzerland fifth and Whistler local Britt Janyk
of Canada sixth.The comfortable margin was in sharp contrast to the men's downhill Monday, when only 0.09 seconds separated the winner, Didier Defago
of Switzerland, from the bronze medalist, Bode Miller
. That was the tiniest margin between first and third place in Olympic men's downhill history. CONTINUE READING...
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