Vonn encouraged after first test on skis since right shin injury

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Lindsey Vonn is considered the overwhelming favorite in two Alpine downhill ski pursuits. AP

WHISTLER, British Columbia (AP) -- Aided by painkillers and numbing cream, Lindsey Vonn tested her badly bruised right shin Thursday by skiing for the first time since getting injured last week -- and she came away encouraged about her Olympic prospects.

The opening women's Olympic downhill training session was called off after only two racers because of thick fog, but Vonn did get in a free run on the mountain -- although not on the official course.

"I was happy to be back on snow today," Vonn said. "My shin was still very painful, but I feel like the injury is finally progressing a bit. I am always disappointed when a training run is canceled, but in this situation I definitely welcome the extra day to heal."

Before her injury became known, Vonn was widely considered a candidate to win perhaps three or four medals -- including an overwhelming favorite to win golds in the downhill and super-G -- and become the breakout star of the Vancouver Games.

Vonn had been planning to race in all five events at the Olympics, something U.S. Ski Team women's coach Jim Tracy said was still planned.

"We're hoping that she's going to go full-bore," he said. "We're not talking about skipping any events. We're on a normal program."

The first women's race, the super-combined, is scheduled for Sunday. A little more than 24 hours after the two-time World Cup overall champion sounded somber as she raised the possibility of not being able to compete at all, the outlook was quite different.

"She had a smile today," said Vonn's husband, Thomas Vonn. "It's very encouraging. Like, it seems like it's kind of turning a corner, based off today."

Vonn's day began with medical treatment to help her deal with the pain in the shin that she banged against her boot in a headfirst tumble on Feb. 2 during pre-Olympic training in Austria.

Although a physical therapist recommended changing her boot, possibly by cushioning where the top of the equipment meets the bruise, she decided against that, because it might affect her performance.

Tracy -- who knows Vonn's history of brushing aside injuries and pain -- was optimistic, though he said she, not the team, would ultimately decide.

"I'm not going to tell her she can't race. And I'm not going to tell her she has to race," Tracy said. "It's her health."

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