VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Almost lost amid the hubbub of Lindsey Vonn’s shin injury were the travails of teammate Julia Mancuso, Wednesday’s silver medalist in the women’s downhill.
Mancuso won gold in the giant slalom in Turin in 2006, but for the past two years she has been bothered by a bad back and a bad hip. She hasn’t been to the World Cup podium in more than a year. She, too, has had to battle through injuries to reach the Olympics. So for her, the silver medal was significant.
“It’s been a long journey coming off the back injuries,” she said. “Just being on the podium is a big accomplishment. Last year wasn’t very much fun.”
Wearing her trademark tiara, because her coaches call her “princess,” she was the 10th skier in the competition and established a time that was going to be difficult to beat: 1:44.75. No one was surprised, however, because Mancuso has the reputation of being a “big-race skier.”
When Vonn, who skied 16th, heard of Mancuso’s time, she knew she needed to do something special.
“I saw Julia’s time and I said, ‘That’s going to be the gold medal unless someone has a perfect run,’ ” said Thomas Vonn, Lindsey Vonn’s husband and coach. He radioed the information to his wife.
“I knew what I had to do,” Lindsey Vonn said afterward. “I had to attack.”
Vonn came in 0.56 seconds faster than Mancuso to win the gold. But no one else came close. It was the first time Americans finished one-two in any sport in the Olympics since Sarajevo in 1984. Debbie Armstrong and Christen Cooper finished one-two in the giant slalom then. Phil and Steve Mahre finished one-two in the men’s slalom, also at Sarajevo.
“I knew there were places at the top where I made a mistake,” Mancuso said of her run. “So seeing Lindsey beat my time, I wasn’t surprised. I won my gold medal in Torino.”
Mancuso said she’s just recently begun to feel better on her skis. After the injuries healed, she said, she had a horrible time finding the right equipment. Nothing felt right, and she seemed lost. Now she has it all together and has more races to go in Vancouver.
“I’ve always just known that I’d get a medal here,” she said. “I love the Olympics.
“I was really nervous last night and really nervous this morning. I couldn’t eat anything. I had to force myself to eat something. I was really nervous and wanted to use that energy. I did use that energy and went out and I did my best. I’ve been practicing a lot on visualization and getting aggressive. I really just had to give my all today.”
Mancuso and Vonn have been friendly competitors for years. Mancuso is a free spirit. Vonn is more businesslike.
“But we’re there together on the podium both representing the U.S, and both really proud,” Mancuso said.
Mancuso admitted that winning the silver feels different from winning the gold, but she said she still was happy.
“It’s been a long battle the last year,” she said. “I just wanted to have a good run and feel good. I’m a girl, so I’m crying.
“Coming off a back injury last year, I was in a lot of rehab. I knew that I really just had to hang on and keep going for it. And it’s really been a tough, long road. It’s exciting.
“I love skiing!”
