SAN SICARIO, Italy — American medal hopeful Lindsey Kildow was released from a hospital this morning, just 24 hours after she careened out of control and slammed into the frozen downhill course at 50 mph.
She might even compete in Wednesday's medal race.
Kildow was "in good general condition," hospital spokeswoman Laura Capponi told The Associated Press by telephone from Turin, where the skier was taken by helicopter.
She will try to start Wednesday's downhill, U.S. women's coach Patrick Riml said.
"We will see," Riml said. "She's on the start list. We still have to see how she is doing tomorrow."
Somehow, the 21-year-old American escaped serious injury during the horrific crash that took place Monday on a training run. She spent the night at the hospital as a precaution and tests showed her lone injury was a bruised hip.
"Lindsey's Gumby, so she should be good," her Olympic Village roommate Resi Stiegler said, comparing her to the old cartoon character that could bend in all directions. "Gumby, that's anyone that can do the stuff she does and not get hurt."
She would not be the first to stage an unbelievable comeback from a terrifying crash. Eight years ago, Austrian great Hermann Maier soared off the course over two safety fences in the downhill at the Nagano Olympics, then came back 72 hours later to win the first of two golds.
Those familiar with Kildow's grit aren't ready to count her out just yet.
"I've known Lindsey for about 10 years," U.S. Alpine physician Bill Sterett said Monday after treating her. "She's a pretty tough young lady. Almost nothing surprises me about her. Until we tell her she absolutely can't race, she's not going to rule it out."
Kildow is strong-willed and stubborn, and with endorsement deals with McDonald's and Nike and a fondness for the spotlight, she knows these Olympics are a place for her to shine, just like her close friend Picabo Street did when she won a gold medal in Nagano.
"She's tougher than I am, if you can imagine that," said the oft-injured Street, who came back from a terrible knee injury and broken leg to win a super-G gold.
By Monday evening, Kildow was smiling, Street said, and eyeing her return to a course overhauled after she and other skiers complained it was too easy.
She is entered in all five Alpine events, but the downhill is her favorite and her best. She was second-fastest in Sunday's training run and has two World Cup downhill victories this season.
"She was really one of the girls I would have said would win a medal," said Austrian great Alexandra Meissnitzer.
Kildow has been pegged as a superstar-in-the-making, thanks to her skills on the slopes and charisma off them. At 17, she had the best showing of the U.S. women in Alpine skiing during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, finishing sixth in the combined.
Her breakthrough was last season, with six top-three finishes, and one victory, in the World Cup, although she was left in tears after twice finishing one spot away from a medal at the 2005 Alpine World Championships.
She has dreamed of Olympic success since first strapping on skis at age 2, since she met Street at age 9, since she sneaked into the 1999 Alpine World Championships in Vail, Colo., and scored Bode Miller's autograph.
Crashes and injuries are inevitable in the on-the-edge world of Alpine ski racing.
Things went wrong for Kildow when her left ski slid out as she came off a dip and began to turn around a gate on a rolling, relatively flat stretch on the course's second half. Her right knee buckled and dragged on the ground while her left leg spread wide. One ski jutted into the surface like a skate blade and pushed her airborne. After she landed backward and banged to a stop, medical workers rushed to her aid and she was put on a stretcher and taken to a helicopter.
After World Cup events on this hill last season, a chorus of racers complained that the terrain lacked variety, so Olympic organizers altered the landscape and added jumps and bumps — changes that drew praises from Kildow and others after Sunday's downhill training.
Kildow's was one of four crashes in the training run.
Reigning Olympic champion Carole Montillet-Carles of France lost control during a jump midway through her run, slamming into the protective fencing. Montillet-Carles was taken to a clinic in nearby Sestriere with rib, back and facial injuries.
On Tuesday, French Ski Federation doctor Marie-Philippe Rousseau-Bianchi said Montillet-Carles rested well overnight.
"Even if she is still in pain, it's going in the right direction," said Rousseau-Bianchi, who spent the night in the racer's room.
French team officials weren't optimistic that Montillet-Carles would be able to ski Wednesday, but Rousseau-Bianchi said the final decision will likely be made on race morning.
In other crashes Canadian Allison Forsyth tore knee ligaments and is out of the Olympics. Elisabeth Goergl of Austria went down, but was able to ski to the bottom.
Many skiers refuse to watch video replays of such tumbles. It is a part of the sport they can't afford to think about. Others block it out.
"We're just used to it," said teammate Julia Mancuso, who was the next skier out of the gate after Kildow and posted the day's fourth-best time. "Every race, there's always some stuff that happens, whether it's a teammate or not. You sort of have to refocus at the start and go."
