Defying Injury, Vonn Wins Gold in Downhill

[steven johnson]

Yee Haaah!

With a daring, aggressive run down an unforgiving Olympic downhill course, Lindsey Vonn finally quieted the doubts about her injured shin and her ability to live up to intensive pre-Games hype, winning a gold medal in the first women’s Alpine race of the Vancouver Games on Wednesday.

Go to the Rings Blog » Vonn soared down Whistler Mountain, taking the most aggressive line of all the top skiers and defying the pain in her bruised shin. When she flew past the finish line and knocked her American teammate Julia Mancuso from the top spot, Vonn fell on her back and threw her arms in the air.

Her time of 1 minute 44.19 seconds beat Mancuso’s by more than half a second, although she nearly wiped out several times in achieving it. Vonn became the first American woman ever to win the Olympic downhill and she and Mancuso provided the first 1-2 finish for American Alpine skiers since 1984.

With a daring, aggressive run down an unforgiving Olympic downhill course, Lindsey Vonn finally quieted the doubts about her injured shin and her ability to live up to intensive pre-Games hype, winning a gold medal in the first women’s Alpine race of the Vancouver Games on Wednesday.


Defying Injury, Vonn Wins Gold in Downhill

[Captain Hilts]

1. Gold and Silver in an Alpine event is a Big Deal for the US. nt