arguably the finest campaign of his career in 2003 wh

COPPER MOUNTAIN, Colo. -- Lindsey Vonn eased into her first day of downhill training, holding back on her opening run just so she could get accustomed to cruising at that rate of speed again. By her fifth and final pass at the U.S. Ski Teams speed centre on Wednesday, Vonn was charging so hard through the two-mile course that she bent over in exhaustion soon after finishing, trying to catch her breath. More and more, the four-time overall World Cup champion is feeling like her old self again as her surgically repaired right knee gets stronger. The knee felt "really good," Vonn said as she scrambled for the warmth of the lodge following the bitterly cold workout session. "Everything is good," said Vonn, whos preparing to defend her downhill title at the Sochi Olympic in three months. "I feel fresh and training hard. Everything is perfect." The 29-year-old Vonn shredded her anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments in a crash at the world championships in Schladming last February, but has progressed much faster than anticipated. She even thought about competing at the season-opening race in Soelden, Austria, on Oct. 26, only to skip it to give her knee more time to recover. Asked if there were any regrets about sitting out that competition, Vonn said: "I was definitely disappointed. Its hard to say no for me. But I felt like I needed more time." These days, all of her decisions are based on one thing: Being in the starting gate at full strength for Sochi. Vonn will make her return to the World Cup circuit in Beaver Creek later this month, with boyfriend and pro golfer Tiger Woods possibly even showing up to cheer her on. "Well see," Vonn said, laughing. For the next few weeks, Vonn will be working on her speed events. She feels like she has her super-G dialed in and now turns her full attention toward the downhill. "My skiing in general is really, really good right now, especially in super-G," said Vonn, who captured an Olympic bronze medal in the super-G in Vancouver four years ago to go with her downhill title. "I just need to get a couple of more miles on the downhill." On her first run Wednesday, Vonn was caught off guard by how much velocity she was picking up on the hill, saying it took her a moment to adjust. She quickly got the hang of it, though, cruising through the course at about 75 per cent of her typical race speed. Vonn treated the morning workout almost like she would a training session at a World Cup stop. Run after run, she pulled a journal out of her bag and jotted down notes about her equipment. Once finished, she slipped into a different set of skis and headed back up the lift for another pass. "I just felt good ... for my first day of downhill," said Vonn, who lives in nearby Vail. "Yeah, it was good." The goal now? "Get faster," she said. "I need more miles." Cheap Julio Teheran Jersey . -- Rodney Stuckey scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, and the Detroit Pistons beat the New York Knicks for the first time in eight meetings, 92-86 on Tuesday night. Cheap Braves Jerseys China . As TSN reported Thursday, the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport is under intense pressure from the federal government to focus drug testing on athletes who compete in international events representing Canada. Since funding for the tests has been frozen and the cost of testing can eclipse $1,000 per test, university athletes in a number of sports are being tested less often. http://www.cheapbravesjerseys.com/?tag=cheap-sean-newcomb-jersey .com) - Tonight will go a long way in determining the two wild card spots in the Eastern Conference. Cheap Babe Ruth Jersey . This week they discuss the Philadelphia 76ers, Gregg Popovich, Royal and Ancient Golf Club and Bill Belichick. Cheap Orlando Cepeda Jersey . Halladays resume as a Blue Jay is among the elite in the franchises 36-year history. Over 12 seasons in Toronto, he was named an All-Star six times. He had arguably the finest campaign of his career in 2003 when he posted a 22-7 record, a 3.UEFA has issued a warning to the Irish Football Association after Northern Ireland players wore branded clothing during open training. During the session on Tuesday, a designated UEFA open day, players were expected to avoid any sponsor branding.However, they began the workout wearing standard training shirts before covering them up with UEFA bibs. A UEFA spokesperson told Sky Sports News HQ: We were informed that due to a logistical issue, the Northern Ireland team did not have their unbranded training kit available for this open training sesssion.dddddddddddde were satisfied with their explanation but they will be warned to avoid a repeat of this situation and we dont expect it to happen again.The Irish FA is experiencing a European Championship finals for the first time at what is their first major tournament since the World Cup finals of 1986. Also See: N Ireland latest N Ireland fixtures N Ireland stats Table Live on Sky ' ' '