Lindsey Vonn's days of competing in all five ski disciplines might be behind her, since the four-time overall World Cup champion is seriously considering giving up slalom in her comeback from a career-threatening knee injury.
The 30-year-old American racer thinks she is still somewhat off the pace in speed events, despite clinching her first victory in nearly two years in a downhill at Lake Louise, Canada, on Dec. 7.
The 2010 Olympic downhill champion thinks ditching slalom might help her cause to become the No. 1 speed racer again.
"I definitely plan on doing [giant slalom], but I want to focus on the speed races right now," Vonn said Thursday ahead of a downhill and super-G in the French resort of Val d'Isere. "I don't know if I'll do slalom again. It's difficult starting in the back. But we'll see. I haven't skied slalom since my injuries, so I don't know how it feels yet."
Vonn's previous World Cup victory was in GS on Jan. 26, 2013, in Maribor, Slovenia, and she has raced only seven races since.
Less than two months after that victory, she injured her right knee in a heavy fall at the world championships.
Desperate to get back in time for the Sochi Games, she partially tore one of the reconstructed ligaments in a training crash in Copper Mountain, Colorado.
Again, she attempted to grind things out, only to sprain her MCL racing downhill in Val d'Isere last December, and had a second surgery a month later.
"I'm in a much different position this year than I was last year," Vonn said. "I have a healthy knee finally. So I'm looking forward to the races this weekend and hopefully the conditions will be good."
It has been a big month.
Racing downhill for the first time since hurting her knee again in Val d'Isere, Vonn finished eighth at Lake Louise and grabbed a second-place finish in super-G to go with her downhill triumph.
"I wasn't expecting to be as fast as I was in Lake Louise. The first race, being eighth place was about what I expected," she said. "But I learned a lot from the first race and tried to improve, and both the second downhill and the super-G were good performances."
Still, she thinks she can do much better.
"I'm trying to be more comfortable with the speed and to be more aggressive. Downhill is a little bit farther along than super-G, and I definitely need more training. This weekend, hopefully I'll have good results like I did in Lake Louise. But it's a process, coming back from two years of injury takes a bit of time."
... Bode Miller is skiing again and remains on schedule for a January return after undergoing surgery on a disc in his back.
baseball
Athletics trade All-Star catcher
The Athletics traded All-Star catcher Derek Norris and minor league righthander Seth Streich to the Padres for righties Jesse Hahn and R.J. Alvarez along with an international signing bonus slot.
... Former Atlanta righthander Kris Medlen agreed to an $8.5 million, two-year contract with the Royals after missing last season while he recovered from Tommy John surgery. Medlen will make $2 million next year and $5.5 million in 2016. … The Athletics acquired lefthander Eury De La Rosa from the Diamondbacks for cash. De La Rosa, 24, went 2-0 with a 2.95 ERA in 25 games for the Diamondbacks. … The St. Petersburg City Council rejected a deal between the Rays and the city's mayor that would have allowed the team to search for new stadium sites on both sides of Tampa Bay.
AROUND THE HORN
Boxing: Ernie Terrell, who briefly shared the heavyweight championship with Cassius Clay and who later, after refusing to acknowledge that Clay had taken the Muslim name Muhammad Ali, was battered by him in a 15-round grudge match, died Tuesday. He was 75.
Auto racing: Darrell Wallace Jr. signed a deal with Roush Fenway Racing and will drive the No. 6 Ford in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
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