Vonn back on track in Lake Louise

A relieved Lindsey Vonn in the finish area at Lake Louise. Tom Kelly/USSA

LAKE LOUISE, Canada — A quiet day in the Lake Louise finish area was anything but routine for two American athletes returning from significant injuries. Lindsey Vonn and Alice McKennis were back on a World Cup downhill course for the first time since their dramatic exits from competition last season. In many ways, their stories aren’t terribly different. Both athletes were injured toward the end of 2012-13 season. Both athletes aggressively attempted a comeback last year in time for the Olympics but ultimately were unable to overcome their injuries. Both athletes felt good today.

Especially Alice McKennis who finished the first of three Lake Louise training runs with the fourth fastest time, just behind none other than Norway’s Lotte Smiseth Sejersted and Slovenia’s Tina Maze, who were first and second respectively.

For Vonn, it was a less competitive 18th-place finish — but not one she was going to stress over too much.

“I haven’t had a lot of training, so I’m using this as training,” said Vonn. “I want to see how the training runs go, and then make a goal for the first race, and then hopefully improve upon that for the second and third races. I just have to play it by ear. I feel solid. I feel confident. I hope to be on the podium.”

Realistically, it’s been two years since the world has seen a fully healthy Vonn in action. While she says she feels physically as good as she did prior to her run of injuries, she acknowledges, “things are different.”

“I’ve had two surgeries and I’m wearing a brace,” said Vonn. “As far as my general strength, I’m extremely strong. I just have to trust my body at this point. … I’m not sure (the injuries) shake my confidence, but I’m definitely more aware of the snow conditions, especially in training the last few weeks. If the snow hasn’t been really good, then I haven’t run the course. I haven’t taken any excess risk. I’m going to save that for the races.”

As for her run on Tuesday, Vonn said it went “pretty well.” She skied the top section a little too round and lost some speed, according to the racer, but skied better from Coaches Corner down through Fallaway.

“That was my plan, to give it a little more respect today and tighten it up tomorrow,” said Vonn.

For the third-finishing McKennis, it was an emotional and gratifying day.

“I was definitely pretty nervous at the start — a lot of anxiety, a little stress. First real downhill course that I’ve run in a really long time. I felt like I had a pretty decent run. I was clean, and I wasn’t really sliding a lot.”

McKennis, along with the other ladies on the U.S. speed team, had been training for a couple weeks at the Copper Mountain Speed Center. Early in the camp, they didn’t have enough snow. Late in the camp, they had a bit too much. Ultimately, it was a good block for the team, but nothing is quite like race week.

“Being in this environment with all the other racers totally changes everything,” said McKennis. “You’re not just with your friends and teammates out there, taking five or six runs. It’s business and it’s game time, and it’s time to step up.

As for her injury — a fractured tibia and shattered tibial plateau — McKennis reports she feels strong, confident and has no concerns about her body.

One noticeably absent member of the American speed team was Leanne Smith, who reportedly suffered a partial tear of her quadricep during a FIS super G race at Copper Mountain last month. She will not be racing at all in Lake Louise, but should return in 4-6 weeks.

All of the racers noticed the course was quite a bit different than the last time they came through. Most said they liked it better.

“It’s definitely different than previous years. There’s a lot of terrain,” said Julia Mancuso, who finished seventh and was sporting a brand new pair of boots a size smaller than the ones she wore last season. “The snow is awesome. There are a couple more jumps (this year). On the face here, the one pitch, it’s a double going into C turn. It kind of runs similar but it’s not as much of a breaking turn into Fishnet. It’s a longer turn, more of a smooth transition.

“My run was OK,” she added. “I feel a lot better on my skis. I just feel the flow between turns, so even if I make a mistake, I still carry my speed. I felt like I had good heat going down the hill. But there’s definitely a lot of room for improvement.”

Vonn agreed there are some substantial changes to the set.

“It’s a little bit turny in the meadows section and Wiwaxy, and Fallaway is a double instead of a single. It’s a little bit easier than it has been, but a lot more swing in places and a little bit straighter in others. It’s kind of like how it used to be set seven or eight years ago.”

Vonn has 14 career World Cup wins at Lake Louise and 20 podiums. She’ll kick out for two more days of training ahead of the Women’s downhill opener on Friday.

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