From the U.S. Ski Team:

Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) took her fifth win in as many years at Lake Louise in blustery conditions Friday. Starting 16th, Vonn jumped into the lead after the first split, then gained two more tenths to finish .61 seconds ahead of Italy’s Nadia Fanchini who came in second. Maria Riesch of Germany was third, .69 seconds off Vonn.

"It’s amazing. It’s awesome to have a feeling like I have on this hill. I know it so well," Vonn said. "It seemed like such a short time ago that I was going for three wins here and now I’ve been able to win five."

The win also breaks Isolde Kostner’s previous record of four wins on the course, and it makes Vonn the overall World Cup leader by 69 points over Tanja Poutianen of Finalnd.

Women’s Alpine Head Coach Jim Tracy said Vonn skied exceptionally well through tough conditions on the hill.

"It’s a nice feeling. She knows this course so well and she’s so confident," he said. "Her experience, her conditioning and her mental approach puts her on a very, very high level. It makes it tough for everyone else."

Vonn is off to an exceptional start this season as she aims to defend last year’s overall title. She was ninth in the opening giant slalom at Soelden, Austria, took first in the opening slalom at Levi, Finland, and was fourth in both the giant slalom and slalom at Aspen last week.

Vonn attributes her success to mental confidence on a course she’s said she knows like the back of her hand.

"It’s just confidence. Sometimes I feel like I don’t even need to inspect. I just know the right line. I don’t feel any different physically, it’s mostly mental," she said.

Vonn also said managing her time has become more of a challenge this year because she’s the overall defending champion.

"It’s been difficult to manage everything. Thomas (Vonn) and lots of others are all working together to help keep me prepared and make sure I get what I need. I’m doing all my interviews at one time, one right after another, instead of here and there. It helps to have people around you to manage those kinds of things," she said.

While Vonn came away with the win, no other Americans finished inside the top 30.

"It was pretty disappointing. We definitely expected better today, but we’re going to go watch some video and see what we can do tomorrow," Tracy said. “They just need to ski more relaxed, ski like they know how."

Tracy said some racers had trouble adjusting to varying winds at the top of the course, which sent some into a turny section at higher speeds and forced others to battle a head wind.

"I had to fight it a little up there and I’m thankful because sometimes it’s tough to pop in there in conditions like that," Vonn said.

The U.S. Team has had success at Lake Louise in the past. Besides Vonn’s wins, Caroline Lalive (Steamboat Springs, CO) was second there in 2002 and posted two top-10 finishes in 2004, while Julia Mancuso (Olympic Valley, CA) was fourth at Lake Louise in 2005.

The day also marked Lalive's first race back since the 2006 season. Lalive has fought her way back from multiple injuries over the last few years. Topping it all off, she had emergency abdominal surgery in November before racing in Lake Louise to finish 55th.

After the race, Vonn said she was confident in the team and had high hopes for the weekend.

"They were all really fast in training and they are fired up and hungry for some World Cup points tomorrow," she said.

LOCAL ATHLETES
- Cle Elum mogul skier Patrick Deneen was named the FIS rookie of the year and celebrated March 15 by finishing third in a race in Italy.
- Federal Way native Apolo Anton Ohno finished his season with a strong performance at the World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in South Korea. He won gold at 500 meters and overall. He also took the 1,000- meter silver and bronze at 3,000 meters. Ohno has won 18 world championship medals – six of each hue.
- Yakima’s Phil Mahre, a gold medalist in the 1984 Olympics, fell short of his goal of qualifying for this month’s U.S. Alpine Nationals. He turned down special invitations to compete because he wanted to qualify on his own.
- Crystal Mountain’s Scott Macartney finished 26th in the World Cup’s downhill standings this season despite not racing since January because of an injury. A ski team spokesman said he’s hoping to return to racing speed this summer.
- Crystal’s Libby Ludlow finished 32nd in the giant slalom and 36th in the Super G. She participated in the NorAm Finals in New York despite knee injuries.

TEAMS USA UPDATES
- March was an historic month for the U.S. Ski Team as it finished one of its best World Cup seasons ever. Bode Miller and Lindsey Vonn took the overall titles. It’s the first time U.S. men and women have swept the titles since 1983 when Yakima’s Phil Mahre and Kentucky’s Tamara McKinney won the titles. Miller also claimed the season combined title and Vonn took the downhill title in February.
- Olympic gold medalist Ted Ligety won the World Cup season giant slalom title.
- Vonn and Jimmy Cochran each won slalom and combined titles at this week’s U.S. Alpine Championships.
- Miller did not compete in the U.S. Alpine Nationals.
- Katherine Ruetter won Team USA’s only women’s medal at the speed skating world championships. She took bronze at 3,000 meters.
- The 1998 Olympic Women's Hockey Team, which won the first-ever Olympic gold medal in the sport, is one of five finalists for the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame. It’s the only winter team nominated. Its competition includes the 1992 Men’s basketball team - the original Dream Team.
- Figure skater Brian Boitano and speedskater Sheila Young Ochowicz are among the 18 individuals nominated. Fans can vote at usolympichalloffame.com.

FACILITY UPDATES
- Testing at the sliding center on Blackcomb Mountain continued this month.
- Work is expected to be completed on the Hillcrest/Nat Bailey Stadium Park, the Whistler Athlete’s Centre, the UBC Winter Sports Centre and the Richmond Oval this year.

OTHER OLYMPIC NEWS
- Some members of the Canadian cross-country team have complained that the 2010 Nordic venue is too easy according to the Vancouver Sun.
- The 2010 day-by-day competition schedule can be viewed online at blogs.thenewstribune.com/adventure.

COMING UP
- The U.S. Freestyle Championships start today in Park City, Utah.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets go on sale Oct. 11, 2008. Tickets.com was selected as the games’ official ticket service.

This isn't necessarily Olympic related, but we'd love to have your help:

Help us determine the best ski area in the Northwest by voting for your favorite resort, lodge food, ski run and more.

Click below to take the quick survey. Your favorites will featured in 2008-09 Ski preview sections in newspapers across the Northwest. Voters from around the region - Idaho, Washington, Oregon and B.C. - are participating so make sure your favorites are well represented.

2008-09 Snow Ride Guide Survey

Here's the big news from the slopes this weekend:

- Greg Bretz (Mammoth Lakes, CA)grabbed his first career World Cup win Sunday in Quebec.

- Lindsey Vonn finishes third in Super Combined.

- Erroll Kerr and Jake Fiala finished in the top 10 of the World Cup ski cross in Switzerland.

- Ted Ligety finishes seventh in World Cup slalom.

- Bill Demong set a new American mark, finishing third in the season-long overall FIS Nordic Combined World Cup standings. No American had previously finished higher than fourth.

Three pics from the finish area at today's women's downhill.

Vonn (white cap)meets the press after winning the World Cup downhill.

Crystal Mountain's Libby Ludlow, who is battling back and knee problems, after finishing 44th today.

If this woman hands you a cup, look out.

I got to ski the women's downhill course this morning before the race. It was during pre-race inspection and skiing is a bit of an overstatement. Really those of us who were on the course - coaches, officials, athletes and media - were slipping the course checking out the features.

Some athletes were getting last minutes coaching and others where trying to visualize the runs.

The course was icy - just the way the skiers like it. I bit it just a few seconds after entering the course thanks to a pair of skis in major need of a tune. I had no problems the rest of the course, but if some the pictures and video below look a little blurry it's because of the snow in my camera.

Lindsey Vonn finished second by a hundredth of a second to Nadia Styger of Switzerland a few minutes ago in the Whistler World Cup. The finish locked up the season World Cup downhill title for Vonn. Vonn also took sole possession of first place in the Overall standings.

"It will come down to the last week," Vonn said of the overall title.

A slip near the end of the run cost Vonn the win.

Julia Mancuso was third.

Libby Ludlow finished 44th.

A few pictures from the Whistler World Cup.

Check out pictures of the skiing on the rest of the hill on our Adventure Blog.

The timing flats that will be the finishing area for all of this week's race and all the Olympic races in 2010.

One of the first finishers Thursday.

Even UK fans love Bode Miller.

This is as close as us media stiffs were allowed to get to Bode Miller after he failed to finish the super G. He did, however, tell ESPN he injured his wrist during the race. Miller is the dude in the green helmet.

And here's some video shot by a fan higher on the course:

Several Washington skiers were named to the national team when it was announced today.

- The A Team has some familiar local faces:
Crystal Mountain trained racers Scott Macartney and Libby Ludlow are back on the top squad.

- Will Brandenburg of Spokane is on the B Team.

- Paul McDonald, another Crystal Mountain skier, is on the C Team.

- Colby Granstrom, 17, of Lake Stevens was named to the developmental team.

As promised, Bode Miller is not the team. Miller quit the team earlier this year. He can still compete on the World Cup circuit.

From U.S. Ski Team:
Libby Ludlow of Crystal Mountain won the Giant Slalom to finish up the NorAm racing season. The win came at Panorama in eastern British Columbia. Tim Kelley of Vermont won the men's finals race - the slalom - by nearly half a second.

Libby Ludlow (Photo: libbyludlow.com)

Check out the results below.

=> Read more!

From U.S. Ski Team:
Jessica Kelley and Crystal Mountain trained Libby Ludlow finished 1-2 Friday in a snowy giant slalom at NorAm Finals as U.S. skiers filled eight of the top 10 places.

The top two finishers in NorAm points earn automatic start spots in World Cup next season. Both the women's GS and men's slalom berths are still open with one race remaining. The season ends Saturday.

NORAM CUP FINALS
Women's GS-1
1. Jessica Kelley, Starksboro, VT, 2:11.89 2. Libby Ludlow, Bellevue, WA, 2:12.41
3. Shona Rubens, Canada, 2:13.03
4. Caitlin Ciccone, Bethlehem, NH, 2:13.22 5. Leanne Smith, Conway, NH, 2:13.40

ALSO TODAY:
Three U.S. giant slalom snowboarders made the World Cup Finals today. Justin Reiter (Steamboat Springs, CO) finished 11th while Olympians Tyler Jewell and Michelle Gorgone (both Sudbury, MA) also made the cut finishing 14th and 15th respectively.

Mancuso finishes fifth in first night world championship race.
(Picture: usskiing.com)

From U.S. Ski Team:
Exhausted from a week of racing Julia Mancuso faded from first (after the first run) to finish fifth in the Giant Slalom world championship today in Sweden.
Afterward she told the Associated Press she will head home and skip Friday's slalom because the world championships have been "just too much for my body."
Mancuso wasn't the only skier to struggle, Sweden's Anja Paerson fell on her second run erasing the possibility of her winning all five golds at Worlds. She won the first three events.
Austrian's Nicole Hosp took gold.
Bellevue's Libby Ludlow finished 29th.