ALPINE:

Suter, Grugger lead Tuesday training at World Cup Finals

March 9, 2010 — The Canadian Press          ►Photo: Manny Osborne-Paradis was 14th in training (Agence Zoom)

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World Cup Finals Schedule — Click below to go to FIS schedule page
GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany — Lindsey Vonn will head into the final downhill race of the season with a chance to claim the overall World Cup title for the third straight season.

After winning six of seven World Cup downhills this season and earning the Olympic gold medal, the American skier is the overwhelming favourite in Wednesday's race, the first event of the World Cup finals.

"I feel good coming into this week. I am fresher than I thought I'd be, at least mentally," Vonn said Tuesday after finishing fourth in a practice run down the Kandahar course. "Physically, I definitely need a break, but mentally I feel fresh. I am skiing pretty relaxed now and I have a lot of confidence."

Vonn is coming off a successful weekend in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where she won a downhill and was runner-up in the super-G in tough conditions. She already has secured season titles in those two events. Vonn won the Olympic bronze in the super-G.

"Last weekend was a really fun weekend, it definitely helped me despite weather conditions," she said. "I had a good time skiing, I think that's really important."

Vonn is still nursing a sore right shin and a broken little finger on her right hand. She bruised the shin before the Olympics and broke the finger in a spill in the Olympic giant slalom.

"My shin is not going to be better until I take a good chunk of time off but it's very manageable pain right now," Vonn said.

As for the finger, "its just broken, not a problem at all," said Vonn, who wears a special brace and tapes the finger to the glove when she competes.

Vonn has a 245-point lead over her best friend and rival Maria Riesch in the race for the overall title. If Vonn has a lead of more than 300 points after the downhill, she will have clinched the overall title.

"It's a good lead and if I ski well tomorrow it could be over," Vonn said.

Riesch thinks it already is.

"Anyone who can count can see it. The overall title is unrealistic for me," said Riesch, who won slalom and combined gold medals in Vancouver and who is competing in her hometown, which will also host next year's World Championships.

Fabienne Suter of Switzerland led Tuesday's practice, ahead of Olympic silver medallist Julia Mancuso of the United States and Elisabeth Goergl of Austria. Riesch was 12th.

After the downhill, the women also race the super-G, the giant slalom and the slalom, and a win is worth 100 points. The men have the same program.

Vonn will also be seeking to become the American with the most World Cup wins. She is now tied with Bode Miller with 32.

Miller has not competed since winning the combined gold medal in Vancouver. He also won silver in the super-G and bronze in the downhill.

He is undecided about coming back for the next World Cup season.

"My goal at the beginning of the season was to get ready for the Olympics and to win races in February," Miller said on the U.S. Ski Team's Web site. "I feel like I accomplished everything I wanted to this season so it's nice to just be able to relax.

"I haven't made any decisions about next season. At some point, I'll sit down with Sasha (Rearick, U.S. ski team head coach) and see where we're at and what kind of program we can put together and I'll make a plan from there."

The men also have a downhill Wednesday. Didier Cuche of Switzerland already has secured that title.

Two Austrians, Hans Grugger and Mario Scheiber, led the practice run, followed by Andrej Sporn of Slovenia. The Austrians will be hoping to end the season with a victory and prevent a shutout for the first time since 1991-92.

Their women also have not own a downhill this season, with Riesch the only one to snap Vonn's streak.

The men's overall title is still up for grabs, with Benjamin Raich of Austria leading Carlo Janka of Switzerland by 46 points.  SRC

Garmisch men’s World Cup Finals downhill training results

Garmisch women’s World Cup Finals downhill training results