Strong Return for Ross after Dec. Crash

BAD KLEINKIRCHHEIM, Austria (Jan. 8) - Julia Mancuso (Squaw Valley, CA) led the U.S. Ski Team with eighth in the Bad Kleinkirchheim super G as Swiss racer Fabienne Suter won for her second straight podium. The race also capped a strong return to the Audi FIS Alpine World Cup for Laurenne Ross (Bend, OR), who finished 14th to score points in her first two races after being air lifted off the Lake Louise downhill in on Dec. 3 from a crash that resulted in severe facial lacerations. Ross also raced with a four screws and a titanium plate on her left pinky after fracturing the bone playing football on Dec. 31.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Julia Mancuso led the U.S. Ski Team with eighth in the Bad Kleinkirchheim super G
• Swiss Fabienne Suter won for her second podium in two days
• Laurenne Ross was 14th to score World Cup points in her first two races after a brutal Dec. 3 crash in Lake Louise
• Ross also raced with a broken left pinky that was treated with four screws and a titanium plate on Dec. 31
• Lindsey Vonn was 18th and missed the super G podium for the first time since Dec. 29, 2009 - a 19 race SG podium streak
• Vonn continues to lead the overall standings by 164 points over Marlies Schild of Austria
• The super G lead for Vonn was trimmed to 13 points over Austrian Anna Fenninger
• Leanne Smith was 15th

QUOTES
Julia Mancuso
I think I gave the course too much respect and to win, you always have to be on the limit. The snow changes a lot from yesterday. Today, you could pretty much get away with anything.

It's always good to finish in the top 10. I think my skiing is better than that, but from third place on it's really close. Sometimes it just takes a couple of tenths and you're right in there.

It was still a good weekend and I'll take it with me to Cortina. I've had a lot of success there and I know the hill really well.

Laurenne Ross
After Lake Louise, I didn't really have ski racing in my mind anymore. I was shocked at what happened and was a little bit depressed. I went through a really hard time just trying to get my head back into wanting to be on my skis again.

Just going down the downhill course was huge and that gave me so much confidence going into today because I knew that I could make it down and push the line.

After I broke my finger, I was told not to ski for seven to ten days peroid, but I've had surgery on my had before and I already have screws in there, but I was too pysched to get back.

Being back here in this field of really talented skiers is so amazing. I told myself not to have any expectations for this weekend and that nothing mattered other than being back in the start. To be in the top 30 is just incredible.

Lindsey Vonn
I felt OK on the start but I didn't really have the self-confidence and I didn't have the power that I normally have. I am still not myself and I am going to try to rest up the next couple of days and hopefully get a day of training in before Cortina to try to get my form back.

For Cortina, I want to feel confident again and get back on the right track. I definitely struggled this weekend but I am not going to put too much weight into it. For me, it's easy to overanalyze and say, why did this happen?

I always do well after I had a setback. That gives me motivation.

TV
Universal Sports will air the women's race at 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. ET on its 24-hour TV network

OFFICIAL RESULTS
http://www.fis-ski.com/uk/604/610.html?sector=AL&raceid=66708