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SPORTS Monday 17 deceMber 2018
U.S. coach: Vonn plans to return to racing next month

By ANDREW DAMPF represent the U.S. team in
AP Sports Writer Val Gardena.
SELVA DI VAL GARDENA, The Gardena races were
Italy (AP) — Lindsey Vonn is originally scheduled for Val
hoping to return from injury d'Isere, France, this week-
next month and resume her end but were moved due
pursuit of the all-time World to a lack of snow in the
Cup wins record, accord- French resort.
ing to the U.S. Ski Team's While the U.S. has plenty of
head coach. starting spots available in
"That's what we're hopeful Gardena, Kristofic said that
for. That's the plan," Paul the team's younger ath-
Kristofic told The Associat- letes "are not ready to race
ed Press on Sunday. World Cup downhill, espe-
Vonn hyperextended and cially on a men's track."
sprained a ligament in It's the first time that the
her knee during a training Saslong course will host
crash on Nov. 19. She also women's World Cup races,
suffered a bone bruise in having been a classic stop
the crash, in which she fell on the men's circuit for a
on a turn, did the splits and half-century.q
went into the protective
fence.
January would be an op- In this Feb. 4, 2018, file photo, United States' Lindsey Vonn celebrates on the podium after winning
portune time for Vonn to an alpine ski, women's world Cup downhill race, in Garmisch Partenkirchen, Germany.
return, since there are three Associated Press
consecutive weekends
of speed races, downhill is also hoping to return from
and super-G — which are injury in January.
Vonn's specialties. Goggia broke a bone in
The series opens Jan. 12- her right ankle during a fall
13 in St. Anton, Austria, fol- in giant slalom training in
lowed by stops in Cortina Hintertux, Austria, in Octo-
d'Ampezzo, Italy, and Gar- ber.
misch-Partenkirchen, Ger- "She has a doctor's ap-
many. pointment on or about
A win or two in that stretch Dec. 21 and hopefully she'll
would move Vonn closer to be cleared for on-snow
the mark of 86 victories set training before the end of
by Swedish great Ingemar this month," Italy coach
Stenmark. Giovanni Feltrin said.
Vonn has 82 wins. "The idea is for her to return
However, Vonn has not re- in January," Feltrin added.
turned to on-snow training "The exact date I don't
yet. know but it would be great
"She's just doing rehab and if it's in Cortina."
strength and conditioning," Both Goggia and Vonn
Kristofic said, adding that won downhills in Cortina
there is no precise date set last season.
for her return to ski training. Mikaela Shiffrin will also be
"It really depends on how missing from speed races
things go when she's not Tuesday and Wednesday
on snow. It's sort of day by in Val Gardena. The overall
day." World Cup leader is resting
The 34-year-old Vonn was after winning her last three
planning to retire at the races and with a big set of
end of this season but the events coming up in her
injury prompted her to an- specialties of slalom and gi-
nounce recently that she ant slalom.
plans to come back for one "I won't be racing as my
more series of speed races team and I needed a rest
in Lake Louise, Alberta, next and reboot after the busy
season. last six weeks," Shiffrin wrote
Kristofic said Vonn is also on social media Sunday.
expected to compete in The next downhill on Shif-
one more final major event frin's schedule is in Cortina
— the world championships on Jan. 19, Kristofic said.
in Are, Sweden, in February. With Breezy Johnson, Jac-
"It's in the plans to do it," he queline Wiles, Alice McK-
said. ennis also out injured, that
Meanwhile, Olympic down- leaves only Laurenne Ross
hill champion Sofia Goggia and Alice Merryweather to