The Vail Daily | Friday, November 28, 2014 | A33 What’s next for the US THANK YOU TO OUR women’s speed team? 2014 SPONSORS Vonn, there was still Julia Mancuso, Le- Yes there are others besides anne Smith, Stacey Cook and Alice McK- Shiffrin and Vonn ennis, who had podium finishes during the 2012-13 season and that they would be able OK, it’s Shiffrin time in Aspen. to step up in 2013-14. Of course, Mancu- Giant slalom on Saturday and slalom on so did punch in for bronze at the Olympic Sunday. super-combined because she is Go, Mikaela, go. freaky good at stepping up to the One year ago, Madame Shiffrin big events. saved the day for the U.S. Ski But the non-Vonn (injured) Team with a second-place GS and Shiffrin (superb) portion of finish, her best result in the dis- the women’s team, hailed as the cipline at the time, here at the best speed team in the world by Raptor test events. its coaches and marketing crew, It was otherwise a grim laid an egg. weekend for the women’s team, Chris Freud Nary a podium on the World and, hopefully, not a portent of On Skiing Cup in 2013-14 in speed. the 2015 FIS Alpine World Ski So what now as speed begins Championships. next weekend at Lake Lind- A lot has changed in a year. Lindsey Vonn sey with an eye toward Worlds here in PROUDLY PRESENTS THE 8TH ANNUAL EAGLE-VAIL — knock wood — is healthy and will test February? the knee next weekend up in her backyard, Lake Louise, Alberta, with two downhills VONN AND THE SPOTLIGHT and a super-G. Lindsey’s return is going to help. While TURKEY TROT Miss Shiffrin is a year older, doubtless I’m not a huge fan of Lindsey-mania — is gray-haired at 19. Yeah, it’s only one year, Tiger here? Is she dating Tim Tebow? (A 5K & but it’s been 365 days that included another very popular rumor in 2011.) — there is FAMILY FUN RUN WALK slalom globe, an Olympic medal and the something to be said for Vonn’s sucking the first GS win of her career. air out of a room. So, U.S. women’s skiing’s got that going The Vonn obsession is a terrible thing for it, which is nice. (Gunga galunga... gun- when, say, Lara Gut is asked, as she was ga, gunga-lagunga. Carl Spackler applies last year at Raptor, “Does your win mean not only to golf, but World Cup skiing.) any less because Lindsey wasn’t racing?” To The question is “How much has really her credit, Gut was polite in her response. changed in a year?” The thought last season was that without ON SKIING, A34 PRESENTED BY PICK TO WIN WEEKLY FOOTBALL CONTEST PLATINUM SPONSOR SILVER SPONSORS BRONZE SPONSORS Arrigoni Woods Active Energies Comcast The Gallegos Corporation Mountain Temp Mike Neff Insurance New Electric Premier Landscape The Paint Bucket Rocky Mountain Planning Group Vail Board of Realtors Triumph Mtn Properties JUST CLICK AND YOU COULD WIN Vail Resorts US Bank IN-KIND SPONSORS VailDaily.com/Football Avon Bakery Mountain Beverage Beaver Liquors Revolution Power Yoga Win a Trip to Hawaii Blue Moose Pizza Route 6 Café Eagle-Vail Sports Authority and $5,000 in local weekly prizes Community & Board Starbucks Exclusive Resorts TV8 John Halloran & Vail Valley Foundation Maggie Pavlik Vail Daily Honeywagon WECMRD Maximum Comfort West Vail Liquor Mart PROCEEDS BENEFIT ERIC SPRY MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND theyouthfoundation.org | 970.777.2015 A34 | Friday, November 28, 2014 | The Vail Daily Ted Ligety will skip events in Lake Louise due to wrist Colorado, last weekend. US Ski Team remains hopeful The U.S. Ski Team remains hopeful Ligety will be well enough that Ligety can return to competition in early December when the circuit switch- for Birds of Prey es to Beaver Creek, Colorado. The World Cup stop at Birds of Prey includes down- Associated Press hill, super-G and giant slalom races. U.S. men’s coach Sasha Rearick said that Ligety DENVER — Olympic champion Ted Li- is “making good decisions to get himself gety will skip the World Cup races in Lake ready for Beaver Creek. We’re going to Louise, Alberta, this weekend with his left have high quality training for him to get wrist still on the mend. up to speed so he can prep for and focus on The 30-year-old Ligety had surgery on Birds of Prey.” Ligety is a two-time Olympic his wrist after a training mishap in Vail, champion. or Smith pop a top 10 or two as they go — ON SKIING nothing Mancuso does should surprise any- From page A33 one — watch for McKennis. Of the younger (Mine would have been, “Go to the top of generation of the women’s speed team, the PHQ and jump,” with some expletives.) Glenwood Springs skier is the one who has But there is a benefit for the U.S. Team’s won. younger skiers like Smith, Cook and She hit the top step of the podium in McKennis. With all eyes on Vonn, no one St. Anton, Austria, in January 2013. Before expects anything from those three as well her win and after, McKennis has broken as Mancuso. (The lack of respect accorded her legs — her left in 2011 and right in Julia still amazes me. Four Olympic medals 2013. The right one was particularly grue- and five shiny objects from Worlds really some. According to our sister paper The Effectively target demand otherwise.) Glenwood Post-Independent, “McKennis’ health-conscious locals When the women head up to Canada, out right tibial plateau, … by a conservative es- and visitors to Europe and back here in February, the timate was broken in 30 pieces.” Ouch. media will be in Jan Brady-mode, “Marcia, She wisely took most of last year off, Start your ad campaign er Lindsey, Lindsey, Lindsey,” and the pres- despite Olympic temptation. McKennis today by calling sure will be off. is 25, healthy and back on snow. She has 970-949-0555 been targeting the 2015 Worlds as a goal. DARKHORSE? This could turn into a “feel good” story PUBLISHING EVERY TUESDAY IN THE VAIL DAILY While I wouldn’t be surprised if Cook really fast. 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