On this seventh day of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, Lindsey Vonn began her dominance with womens downhill gold on Wednesday amidst several crashes, and prepares for today’s super-combined.

The American ski superstar won the women’s downhill gold at the Winter Olympics on Wednesday after coming back from a recent injury. American teammate Julia Mancuso took the silver with Austrian Elisabeth Goergl won the bronze at Whistler.

Vonn lived up to expectations by winning the United States’ first ever Olympic gold in the women’s downhill. She produced a flawless performance on the technically challenging Franz’s Run to finish in a winning time of 1:44.19.

Among Vonn’s high came many lows in the womens downhill event, with several crashes totaling in six DNFs. One competitor tragically lost her balance mere seconds after leaving the start, falling to the side of the course before the first gate.

The most notable was the run of Sweden’s seven-time world champion Anja Paerson, misjudged the final “Hot Air” jump coming into the finishing area, going too high and landing awkwardly. Paerson did not sustain any major injuries, and is scheduled to race in today’s womens super-combined.

Vonn is expected to challenge for gold again in today’s super-combined, which challenges skiers to race a downhill then a slalom shortly thereafter, totaling both times.

In other Olympic news, days after SkiRebel’s report about tourists complaining that the viewing area for the Olympic cauldron in Vancouver was too restricted, the Vancouver organizing committee (VANOC) has announced the expansion of the viewing area.

A nearby rooftop affording a supposedly unobstructed view of the cauldron has been opened to the public at the cauldrom’s waterfront location. In addition, to better afford street level photos while maintaining the necessary security perimeter of the Main Media Center, the safety fence in front of the cauldron has been moved forward so that viewers can stand closer to the cauldron. The fencing includes a viewing window stretching 30 metres at an average eye level height.

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