Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch ready to take over from Lindsey Vonn
Hoefl-Riesch has dominated the World Cup events so far this season and also won the gold medal in the super-combined competition this week
There is a notable absentee from today's downhill: US speed queen and media darling Lindsey Vonn, blowing the field wide open for a successor to the title she took in Vancouver in 2010.
Vonn suffered a crash at the opening super-G at the world championships last year and wisely opted for further surgery following an unsatisfactory bid at a comeback on the World Cup circuit this season.
Germany's Maria Hoefl-Riesch is ready to take the crown left by her American rival and friend, topping the World Cup overall and downhill standings so far this season.
It's not easy, and sometimes I don't race so well. For example, in January we had [the World Cup event in] Bormio and after that for three weeks I had just speed races. I was on the downhill skis every day
Should Hoefl-Riesch claim victory, it would draw her level with now-retired Croatian Janica Kostelic's record of four golds.
Her not-so-shabby skills in the technical events were also on full display when she powered to victory in the super-combined, the first event of the women's alpine skiing programme.
The 29-year-old German added that it was tough to cross over all five disciplines, but there was a hidden warning given the amount of speed racing she has done in the last month.
"It's not easy, and sometimes I don't race so well," Hoefl-Riesch said. "For example, in January we had [the World Cup event in] Bormio and after that for three weeks I had just speed races. I was on the downhill skis every day."
