In the 2006 Winter Games US skier Lindsey Vonn was predicted to be the Golden Girl.  The Minnesota native was already cementing her reputation heading into Turin and was a heavy favorite to medal in the speed events. Prior to the start of the games she suffered a nasty injury during a practice run and was laid up at the start of the Olympics. She went almost directly from her hospital bed to the slopes and finished 8th earning the “Olympic Spirit” award, but no precious medal she could wear around her neck.

Vonn hasn’t stopped working and planning since that 8th place finish in Italy. Having amassed more victories between Olympics she is poised to bring back multiple medals in 2010. The number being mentioned is five and that is something that no US skier has done in the history of the games.

She is preparing for Whistler by making the most of the World Cup events. She has captured nine Cup victories this season to bring her overall total to 22.  She has finished in the top three 16 times this season. That shatters anything any US skier has accomplished to date. Currently, Vonn is being looked upon as a threat to capture medals in downhill, super G, super combined, slalom and giant slalom. If she lives up to that expectation she will better the three gold medals and one silver that Croatian Janica Kostelic collected in the 2002 Salt Lake Games.

Only four American skiers have ever won two alpine medals at an Olympic games, so Vonn is set to make history if she can remain healthy and live up to the predictions of her dominance. Vonn has competed at Whistler. In 2007 she finished second on her way to a World Cup title.

Canadian Championship: In the Men’s giant slalom being held in Mont-Sainte-Anne, Beaupre, Que. Canadian John Kucera used the home field advantage to win the event. The Calgary native took first place with a combined time of two minutes 8.63 seconds in two runs on the course. Kucera won the same event in 2006. Jean Philippe-Roy of Quebec finished second and US entrant Warner Nickerson took third place.

Hopefully sibling rivalry takes a back seat with the Janyk family. If it doesn’t at least both brother and sister can claim bragging rights. Over the weekend brother Michael captured first in the men’s slalom event at Mont-Sainte-Anne. He won the event on the day of his 27th birthday so; it made capturing a title even sweeter. Michael has not won a Canadian event in about three years. Getting a national title was probably better than anything he could have wished for while blowing out the candles.

As Michael was deciding where to go for his birthday dinner sister Britt was nailing down her 11th national title. She earned her win in the super G with a time of 1:11.56. The oldest sibling, at 28, Britt topped second place Larisa Yurkow and Marie-Pier Prefontaine who finished third.