HozNews

VAL D’ISERE, France (AFP) - - American Lindsey Vonn is hoping to use some valuable insider knowledge of the women’s remodelled course here in her bid to snag gold at the World Ski Championships.

Vonn won two silvers in the 2007 world champs in Are, Sweden, but has targeted top podium finishes this time around.

“I’m definitely looking to improve on my results in Are,” said the World Cup overall standings leader. “I’ve never won a gold medal at any world championship.

“It’s going to be a very challenging two weeks. All the courses are really difficult, especially the terrain of the lower section of the downhill.

“I’m going to do what I’ve been doing, try and stay as focused as I can and hopefully come away with medals.

“There’s definitely a little bit of pressure because I haven’t won a world championships gold. I’m definitely looking to change that.

“Hopefully I can maintain and carry on what I’ve been doing.”

One string to Vonn’s bow will be her insider knowledge of the remodelled Rhone-Alpes piste on the Solaise mountain, which will host the championships’ first event on Tuesday, the women’s Super-G.

Vonn took time out last year to come here to train specifically on the new course.

“It was a really good opportunity,” said the 24-year-old, who won a downhill in the French resort in 2005.

“It was very important to get some runs in on the course, a new course for all of us athletes.

“I know the hill, I knew where I was today on the free ski on the hill,” when she had a couple of runs before International Ski Federation officials set the Super-G course for Tuesday.

“Hopefully that will give me an edge on the competition.”

Vonn said the top section of the course was not too challenging, but after a series of zig-zags, the gradient kept changing.

“It’s definitely very bumpy on the entire course except the first five turns,” she said.

“There’s going to be parts of the course where it’s easy to get behind. You just have to stay on the line as best you can.”

“I think it’s going to be hard to find your rhythm. The terrain is constantly changing. The grade of the slope is constantly changing.

“It will all be about making sure you’re not bumped around too much and having a clean run. You have to try and stay on line.

“I’ll try to keep the rhythm of what I’ve been doing in the World Cup.”

Vonn, fresh from winning the World Cup slalom and Super-G in the German resort of Garmisch on the weekend, admitted that she had taken a private jet from Innsbruck to Geneva to cut down on travel time.

“Unfortunately the weather was bad so we couldn’t fly any closer to Val d’Isere,” she said. “I feel pretty good considering we raced yesterday (Sunday).

She also acknowledged that effective time management would be essential for a successful run at the medals.

“Time management is very important. Getting your recoveries done and making sure you have enough time to yourself to make sure you’re mentally refreshed for all the races.

“These two weeks are really going to be challenging with so many training runs and races all in a row. And coming off from Garmisch yesterday, it’s a pretty brutal schedule.

“I am going to try and get some time to myself, maybe one hour a day!”