Vonn Bombs, Riesch Strikes in Olympic Slalom

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Photo by: AP Photo/Gero Breloer

A disappointing end to Lindsey Vonn's Olympic run: After skiing off course in Thursday's GS race -- and arguably derailing teammate Julia Mancuso's defense of her 2006 gold -- Vonn straddled a gate just 16 seconds into today's slalom race and failed to finish. It was the final women's alpine event of the 2010 Games, and it seemed as if Vonn was happy to see it all end. "Today I didn't have expectations for myself," she told reporters on the hill. "Mentally and physically I'm beaten down." It's been a rough month for the American star, coming into these Games with a severely bruised shin, and then breaking a finger in Thursday's crash. One note of happiness for Vonn: Her good friend and competitor Maria Riesch won gold for Germany in today's event after stomping the first run. Riesch skied a smart but powerful second run to keep Austria's Marlies Schild in silver by 0.43 seconds overall. Czech Sarka Zahrobska was in second place after her first run, but a hungry Schild pushed Zahrobska into the bronze, just over a second adrift of Riesch's overall time.

Riesch victory in slalom