Ski star Lindsey Vonn relishing World Cup comeback
Sölden (Austria) (AFP) - Lindsey Vonn is back in training this week in the Austrian Alps looking to put behind her nearly two years of injury misery and compete with the new wave of skiers coming through.
Her appearance on skies at Sölden marks a new landmark in the career of the glamour-girl American who won four overall World Cup titles between 2008-2012 before badly injuring her right knee while competing in a super-G at the 2013 World Championships.
After surgery and a lengthy layoff, Vonn returned to World Cup competition at Lake Louise in December of 2013. But by that time she had already re-injured her knee and opted for further surgery in January, meaning she missed the Sochi Olympics.
Nine months later the 29-year-old is ready to consider competitive skiing once again and she is aiming to return to World Cup action at Lake Louise, Canada in December and be ready to compete in the World Championships which will be held in February in Vonn's backyard of Beaver Creek, Colorado.
"I've been working on technique, nothing fast, just taking it slow, doing a couple of draws and gates," she said.
"I won't do speed training for few more days still. My first race will be in Lake Louise. I have enough time and there is no stress, take it easy.
"I'm not focused on the overall this season, I'm just focused on trying to win races and trying to get back on the podium.
"Obviously I can do well in the World Championships. I try to not push pressure on myself, I'm taking it slower than last year, hopefully, I'll be able to be on the podium again."
Vonn also said that she had in the back of her mind the fact that with 59 World Cup race wins, she is just three behind the all-time best of 62 held by Austrian legend Annemarie Moser-Proll.
"Breaking the record would be a huge victory for me, but I'm just gonna take it one day at the time and go slowly," she said.
"Hopefully, I can get four more wins and break the record of 62. It would be amazing, to be the best female skier in the world cup ski ever.
And there was also the challenge thrown up by the fact that at 29 she is now one of the veterans on the world ski circuit and a target for the new wave of skiers coming through such as Anna Fenninger, Tina Weirather, Lara Gut and her compatriot Mikaela Shiffrin.
Shiffrin, she said, was not so much a direct competitor as she was a slalom specialist and Vonn's strengths lay in the speed disciplines.
But the challenge in general from younger skiers was something that she was looking forward to.
"It's interesting because seeing the years of birth getting to 91, 92, it's a little bit different for me," she said.
"Normally I don't feel I'm so old, but now I'm feeling a little bit older.
"There is definitely young girls coming up, and I'll do my best to stay on top."
