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SAN SICARIO -- Lindsey Kildow's grievous crash in Monday's training run threw her status for Wednesday's women's downhill in doubt and lengthened the odds of the USA winning its first Olympic gold medal in skiing's signature race.
Although X-rays and examination revealed no broken bones or torn ligaments, Kildow was kept overnight for observation at a trauma treatment center in Torino.
"There is nothing broken, but she's pretty banged up," said Bill Sterrett, a ski team physician and one of the first to reach Kildow after the crash. "We haven't given up her spot (in Wednesday's downhill) right now. She's very sore, but we'll know a lot more (today)."
Kildow, the only woman to win more than one World Cup downhill this season, caught a ski edge three-quarters down the course at a section called the Restaurant Jump. Traveling approximately 50 mph, she went airborne and landed hard on the left side of her pelvis and back with her legs splayed awkwardly, her skis still in their bindings.
"She was in a lot of pain," Sterrett said. "Imagine a sledgehammer hitting you in the pelvis without breaking anything."
Kildow was taken off the slope by toboggan and flown by helicopter to the trauma hospital in Torino, about 60 miles away.
Kildow, 21, was positioned to become the first U.S. woman to win the Olympic downhill. She had two World Cup victories this season and finished in the top 10 in five of seven races. She came into the Olympics off a ninth-place finish in the last World Cup downhill in Cortina, Italy.
"She didn't go so well in Cortina, but after (finishing second in the first Olympic training run) I said now she is back again," said medal contender Alexandra Meissnitzer of Austria. "She was one of the girls who I would set for a medal, so I am really sorry for her. It was bad timing, bad luck."
Kildow skis all five events and is ranked second in the World Cup downhill standings, third in combined, sixth in overall and super-G, 12th in slalom and 47th in giant slalom.
The San Sicario course is the longest women's downhill but not considered treacherous. Still, icy conditions and sticky snow resulted in three other hard crashes Monday, the first of which involved defending gold medalist Carole Montillet-Carles of France.
Montillet-Carles broke through two safety barriers before being stopped by a third. She injured her back in the spill and the chances of defending her title remained uncertain late Monday, French Alpine officials said. Elisabeth Goergl of Austria was able to ski off the mountain after her fall, but Allison Forsyth of Canada suffered a torn knee ligament in her crash.
"The speed was the same (as the first training run). I think just the snow changed a little bit," Meissnitzer said. "It's more catchy, but, that said, it's not more dangerous. I didn't have any problems."
If Kildow is unable to ski Wednesday, the mantle of U.S. favorite will fall to Julia Mancuso, who carries momentum into her second Olympics. Mancuso, 21, struggled with equipment and boot problems early in the year but finished second in the most recent World Cup downhill and super-G races and was third in a giant slalom in late January.
Mancuso has been battling a balky knee but was fourth in Monday's training run.
"I don't know what's wrong, I've had an MRI, and everything is in place. But I've had a hard time with recovery because ... of swelling," Mancuso said. "Some days I wake up in the morning and take a few runs and it doesn't feel good. But then I've gotten some therapy ... and it feels good again."
Mancuso will have to contend with a field that includes five World Cup downhill winners this season, led by Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister with five finishes in the top three. Austrian Renate Goetschl, Croatian Janica Kostelic, who won four medals in 2002, Swede Anja Paerson and Italian Nadia Fanchini also have downhill victories.
Three-time Olympian Kirsten Clark and Olympic rookie Stacey Cook are the USA's other downhill starters. Caroline Lalive, ranked 20th in the World Cup downhill this year, was knocked out of the Games by a torn knee ligament last month. The USA does not have another downhill skier ranked in the top 57.
Contributing: Kevin Johnson, David Leon Moore
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