Vonn and Mancuso have nothing to lose in GS

Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso have both already won two medals at these Olympics. Any more in Wednesday's giant slalom would be a bonus for either skier.

Vonn has never reached the podium in giant slalom, traditionally her most challenging event. Mancuso is the defending Olympic champion in GS but hasn't finished better than 13th in the discipline this season.

"I have nothing to lose," Mancuso said. "I'm really, really proud of my Olympic career so far."

Mancuso and Vonn are both ranked 28th in the World Cup GS standings, meaning they won't get one of the coveted early start numbers in the opening run reserved for the higher-ranked skiers.

Vonn will also have to deal with her bruised right shin, which will take more pounding in GS than the speed events. Her best career result in the discipline was fourth in Aspen, Colo., last season.

This season, Vonn has had trouble with the conditions on GS courses injected with water to create icier surfaces. She blamed alternating conditions after hurting her wrist in a fall in Lienz, Austria, at the end of December.

While Vonn is hoping organizers don't inject the Olympic course, several GS specialists _ such as Denise Karbon of Italy _ would like to see more ice so they can show off their technical skills.

Yet racers that only ski the GS and slalom have only just arrived in Whistler and haven't even skied the course yet.

"We only saw it from the gondola," Karbon said. "It looks real nice. It's full of bumps and there aren't too many flats which would put us at a disadvantage."

Karbon won four consecutive giant slaloms back in 2007-08 but has struggled with injuries throughout her career, undergoing eight surgeries, the latest an operation on her right meniscus in December.

"The injury is forgotten now," Karbon added. "I'm able to go 100 percent in training."

Karbon finished fourth in the GS at last season's world championships in Val d'Isere, France _ which was won by Kathrin Hoelzl of Germany.

Hoelzl has kept up her good form, and is the only skier to win two GS races this season, putting her atop the World Cup GS standings. Kathrin Zettel of Austria is second, super-G silver medalist Tina Maze is third and Tanja Poutiainen of Finland is fourth.

Poutiainen won the final GS before the Vancouver Games in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, and has also just arrived in Whistler. She took silver behind Mancuso four years ago.

Swedish standout Anja Paerson is a two-time world champion in GS, but hasn't posted a victory in the event in four years. Still, Paerson is chasing a seventh Olympic medal _ which would move her past her former rival Janica Kostelic as the most successful female Alpine skier in games' history.

"I've been skiing good in training and I feel very comfortable with my skis and everything is where I want it to be," Paerson said.

Mancuso entered these games with low expectations after a two-year dry spell and everything has suddenly come together here.

"As long as I give my all, that's what I've been looking for in these games," Mancuso said. "I feel like I've reached the moment where I'm in the start gate doing exactly what I need."