Aksel Lund Svindal and Bode Miller are poised to make their ski racing season debuts after posting fast training times ahead of Wednesday's World Championships super-G race.
Two time overall World Cup champion Svindal finished 11th in Tuesday's training run while Miller, who is one of the most successful ski racers in US history, clocked the 12th fastest time.
The two have a combined 22 Olympic and World medals.
"I will suit up. I will do the super-G," Svindal said. "I am not a medal favorite but ... my gut tells me I can ski down this course pretty good."
Svindal's Norwegian teammate Kjetil Jansrud was the quickest down the Birds of Prey course, finishing in one minute, 45.62 seconds in the Colorado mountain resort town. Austrians Max Franz (1:45.70) and Matthias Mayer (1:45.90) were second and third respectively.
Svindal was 1.12 seconds behind Jansrud with a 1:46.74 and Miller was just a shade back in 1:46.76.
"I am going to start in super-G tomorrow," said Miller, who has been hampered by nagging back problems. "The first training run you keep your eyes open and see where there is potential to make up more speed.
"A couple of little mistakes that are easy to clean up. My body felt fine."
Jansrud said he's not surprised to see Svindal and Miller time their returns for the Worlds.
"Aksel has been injured before so he knows what it takes and Bode is such a good skier he could show up anywhere and do well," said Jansrud. "It is good for the sport to have them back skiing."
Svindal ruptured his Achilles tendon juggling a soccer ball during training in October just eight days before the start of the World Cup season.
Many thought Svindal would be out for the year, but he convinced the Norwegian coaches and team doctor to let him try to ski on his surgically-repaired ankle this week.
"I was a little nervous. I am not going to lie," Svindal said of his training run Tuesday.
"I have close to zero pain. It is not bad at all. When I ski I don't think about it.
Source: AFP