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CESANA SAN SICARIO -- Hermann Maier recovered from a horrific crash in the 1998 Olympic downhill in Nagano to win gold in the super-G 72 hours later. U.S. medal contender Lindsey Kildow may try to duplicate Maier's miracle today, only in a shorter time frame.
Kildow is in the starting field for the women's downhill 48 hours after a scary fall sent her to a trauma hospital in Torino with deep bruises to her back, pelvis and hip. She will decide this morning after consultation with U.S. coaches and medical personnel whether to compete or drop out of the race.
"We wanted to give her another 48 hours to evaluate whether she is both physically and mentally able to take on the challenge," Alpine coach Jesse Hunt said Tuesday. "We have to be patient. We'll know a lot more in the morning."
Kildow, 21, caught a ski edge three-quarters through her run and went out of control and airborne before landing hard on her left side at roughly 50 mph, her skis splayed awkwardly but still in their bindings.
Although she suffered no broken bones or torn ligaments, ski team physician Bill Sterrett likened her bruises to being hit with a sledgehammer.
"I'm going to try for tomorrow," Kildow said upon leaving Torino's Central Trauma Hospital Tuesday afternoon. "It's all a matter of trying to pull it off. I'm trying to stay positive. I'm just in a lot of pain."
Kildow is the only skier to win two World Cup downhills this season and was second in the first training run. Complicating this morning's decision is Kildow's versatility: She is a five-event skier, and rushing back for the downhill could jeopardize competing in those races.
"We factor in every scenario we possibly can," Hunt said. "She's comfortable and confident on this hill. If she's motivated, ready to go, prepared to put down a great run, she'll race. If she's not, it doesn't make a lot of sense for her to go."
Five other skiers have won World Cup downhills this season with Austrians Michaela Dorfmeister and Renate Goetschl ranking as favorites. The USA's Julia Mancuso is a dark horse, coming into the Games with three top-three showings in the most recent World Cup races.
"I can see it's going to take a really good run to get on the podium," Mancuso said. "The girls are racing so well. I'm really going to have to take my tucks well."
Contributing: Kevin Johnson in Torino
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