Hot medal prospect Lindsey Vonn puts hopes on ice

Vonn, the most successful American woman skier in World Cup history with overall titles in 2008 and 2009 as well as two World Championship gold medals, has been unable to ski for seven days due to an "excruciatingly painful" deep muscle bruise in her right shin, sustained during a training run in Austria.

"Essentially the first training run that I had, I crashed on the slalom and I hurt my shin," Vonn, 25, said. "I didn't know what to do. I couldn't walk the first day. I was freaking out. I thought that a few days before the Olympics everything is coming crashing down."

Having delayed her return to the United States for four days to receive treatment, Vonn arrived in Vancouver yesterday and said that, although her condition is improving, it is still a serious concern.

"I actually can walk normally now without pain but I tried putting on my boot a few times and it's very painful," Vonn continued.

"I was just standing in the hotel room barely flexing forward and it was excruciatingly painful and I've got to try to ski downhill at 75, 80 miles an hour with a lot of forces pushed up against my shin and I don't honestly know if I'll be able to do it.

"I haven't skied since the last World Cup race and I'm coming into these Olympics a lot more unsure than I was a few weeks ago."

Vonn will have a clearer picture today about her readiness to compete as she bids for medals in the super combined, super-G, giant slalom, slalom and, her main hope for gold, the downhill.

She said: "I've got to wait until the first training run on Thursday. I'm going to go up there, I'm going to put my skis on and see how it feels. I could not be doing the first training run, I don't know. I have to play it by ear and see how it feels and take it day to day."

She added: "For sure I will be racing. I'm going to push through it and I'm just going to do the best that I can."