Whistler: Vonn wins first training test

Reading anything of significance into the results of training runs is a risky business, but if Lindsey Vonn does not win the 2008 World Cup downhill title it will be a major upset.
    Vonn captured the first training run at Whistler on Tuesday, leading Canadian Britt Janyk to the finish line by a slim margin. Whistler's event, officially the TELUS presents Whistler World Cup, scheduled for Feb. 22, is the first of the final three downhill races the women face this season. Vonn needs to finish fourth or better in any of the remaining three races to ice the title, the first for an American woman since Picabo Street in 1996.   
    Vonn completed the Franz's Downhill run, the course slated to host the women's downhill for the 2010 Olympics, in 1 minute, 46.54 seconds. Janyk was second by 0.13 of a second and Frenchwoman Marie Marchand-Arvier third 0.18 back. Kelly VanderBeek cruised to fourth 0.48 back and Julia Mancuso ripped one of her better runs in weeks for fifth 0.52 back.
 

Reading anything of significance into the results of training runs is a risky business, but if Lindsey Vonn does not win the 2008 World Cup downhill title it will be a major upset.
    Vonn captured the first training run at Whistler on Tuesday, leading Canadian Britt Janyk to the finish line by a slim margin. Whistler's event, officially the TELUS presents Whistler World Cup, scheduled for Feb. 22, is the first of the final three downhill races the women face this season. Vonn needs to finish fourth or better in any of the remaining three races to ice the title, the first for an American woman since Picabo Street in 1996. The training win signals Vonn is not going to be satisfied with a mere downhill title.
    Vonn completed the Franz's Downhill run, the course slated to host the women's downhill for the 2010 Olympics, in 1 minute, 46.54 seconds. Janyk was second by 0.13 of a second and Frenchwoman Marie Marchand-Arvier third 0.18 back. Kelly VanderBeek cruised to fourth 0.48 back and Julia Mancuso ripped one of her better runs in weeks for fifth 0.52 back.
    Vonn, with the downhill crown all but secured, can now aim at breaking Street's single-season downhill win mark of six and the World Cup overall title. She currently shares the lead in the overall standings with Nicole Hosp, the Austrian defending champion. Hosp finished 19th in the training run. Vonn has four downhill wins this season, plus a combined win.