Lindsey Vonn confirms she will compete in the slalom in Vancouver

From Sportsbeat staff, in Vancouver

 LINDSEY Vonn has confirmed she will take part in Friday's slalom competition despite breaking her little finger in a crash on Wednesday.

BATTLING ON: Lindsey Vonn will ski through the pain barrier in the slalom, not for the first time at Vancouver 2010 (Getty Images)

The 25-year-old, who has already secured downhill gold and super-G bronze in Vancouver, has taken the decision to bid for a third medal in Whistler, despite picking up another injury, having arrived at the Games with a debilitating shin problem.

Surviving on painkillers, she labelled the shin injury the ‘worst of her career' and while she has not dominated the women's events as her American public, who labelled the Games ‘Vonn-couver', had hoped, she confirmed she had won the one that she wanted after claiming downhill gold.

Her heavy crash in the opening run of the slalom appeared to bring an end to Vonn's Olympics, but the US Ski Team have confirmed she will race again.

"I am just frustrated. I am disappointed with myself," said Vonn, after her crash on Wednesday.

"My husband gave me the course report and the conditions were deteriorating fast at the bottom.

"I came into this with confidence, but I seem never quite to be able to get it into the finish."

Vonn's crash had a knock-on effect for compatriot Julia Mancuso, the defending giant slalom champion and double silver medallist in Vancouver.

Mancuso was drawn to race immediately after Vonn but such was the severity of the latter's crash that Mancuso was forced to stop halfway down her run, and fight her way back up to the start with the help of a snowmobile.

Exhausted, Mancuso, who has previously spoken out about her annoyance at Vonn's tendency to steal the limelight, could only manage 18th after the first run, but she restored some pride in the second, coming home third fastest to finish eighth overall.

"I just kind of looked at it like some people get unlucky," she said.

"There's lucky days, unlucky days," said Mancuso, who has already won silver medals in the downhill and super-combined at Whistler.

"But if I can just focus on the ski racing and do the best that I can, that's all that I'm here to do. I'm psyched I was able to lay down a pretty good second run today, and it wasn't enough, but I really went out and did my best so I'm proud of that."

 

AS IT HAPPENS: Day 14 of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver