Count Them In -- Probably

The women’s Olympic Alpine combined event today got more interesting when it was announced Thursday that American Lindsey Kildow and Croatian Janica Kostelic probably would race in the event.

The status of both medal contenders had been in doubt as Kildow and Kostelic battled injuries and sickness.

Kildow rebounded from Monday’s serious training-run crash to finish eighth in Wednesday’s downhill at San Sicario Fraiteve. But even though she’s listed as probable, it’s not certain she will be able to compete in the combined, an event in which she finished sixth as a 17-year-old at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.

The combined, a race that features a morning downhill followed by two afternoon slalom runs, figures to strain Kildow’s already aching back.

“I think I’ll be OK,” Kildow said after Wednesday’s downhill. “But slalom is very difficult, even when your back is not hurting. We’ll see. I’m going to do everything I can to be there.”

Would Kildow have been better off skipping the downhill in order to be in better shape for the combined? Perhaps, but she said she wanted to make every effort to race in the women’s premier Alpine event and then see how she felt after it was over.

Kostelic, the defending Olympic champion in the event, has had health issues. She pulled out of the downhill after experiencing a high pulse rate, then was fighting a fever on Thursday.

Croatian ski team spokesman Ozren Mueller told the Associated Press that Kostelic had a 90% chance of competing.

Kostelic, who won a record four Alpine medals at Salt Lake City, needs to get moving this week to catch her brother Ivica, who won a silver in Tuesday’s men’s combined.

Kostelic skipped the downhill in part to be close to full strength in her stronger events. At Salt Lake, she won gold medals in combined, giant slalom and slalom and a silver in super-giant slalom.

Kostelic’s primary competition in the combined will come from Sweden’s Anja Paerson. Kostelic and Paerson have won four of the last five World Cup overall titles, Paerson the last two. She finished third in Wednesday’s downhill, and it figures her medal haul will increase in the coming days.

American Julia Mancuso, who finished seventh in Wednesday’s downhill, could also contend for a medal.