Mancuso returns to old, shooting star form (News Feature)

By David Hein Feb 18, 2010, 2:00 GMT

Whistler, Canada - Julia Mancuso was once considered the shooting star of US alpine skiing, having won giant slalom gold at the 2006 Olympics and super combined silver at the 2007 world championships along with 16 podium finishes during the 2006-07 and 2007-08 seasons.

Then came the 2009 winter and a lingering back injury as well as struggles to adapt to new equipment. And Mancuso did not reach the podium for the first time since 2006.

After slowly overcoming those problems as well as questions about confidence because of the lack of strong results, Mancuso showed in Wednesday's Olympic downhill that she still can come up with a great race - winning the silver medal in Whistler.

'Coming back from injuries, this has been a long journey,' the 25-year-old native told reporters.

'It just goes to show that you can really do anything you put your mind too.'

'Injury for an athlete can be extremely frustrating,' she told the US magazine Vanity Fair before the Olympics started.

'It's a slow, creeping process in which, trickle by trickle, the confidence erodes until you reach the point where you've slipped so far off the pace that you don't even know how in the world you got there.'

Mancuso was the second part of a historic one-two finish behind Lindsey Vonn, marking the first time two Americans have been on an alpine podium since Debbie Armstrong and Christian Cooper finished one-two in the women's giant slalom and brothers Phil and Steve Mahre took slalom gold and silver at the 1984 Sarajevo Games.

'I think it's awesome. We in America love the Olympics and we have both dreamt about it forever,' said Mancuso.

'We both had a lot of self-pressure to fulfil, and it's great we were able to do it together.'

Vonn admitted that Mancuso's start six racers earlier helped for her run.

'Julia had a really great run, almost perfect. I knew I needed an exceptional run to beat her. But I just went out there and skied the way I know how to ski,' said the new women's downhill champion.

'Julia's good run helped me to remain focused.'

Mancuso is slated to race the other four alpine events at Vancouver 2010. And now with the confidence of a silver medal in downhill, she may give Vonn a run after all for America's alpine darling.