Friday's first training run for the 2002 Olympic Winter Games women's downhill was cancelled due to snowfall and high winds, but it didn't seem to bother the U.S. Team. Picabo Street (Park City, Utah) led the field in 1st as four skiers had top-10 finishes in Saturday's training run on the Wildflower course at Snowbasin.

The women's downhill is slated for a 10 a.m. start Monday on the challenging and steep Wildflower course.

Street, the defending Olympic champion in super G (which she did not qualify for in these Olympics), tore up the course and finished ahead of 54 other starters with a time of 1:42.16. She has taken a liking to the course after winning a Chevy Truck Super Series downhill on it last season.

"It's a really fun course, it runs really nice," said Street. "I thought I started not so great, but then picked it up really well, grabbed my tuck early. I got a little paranoid going into the jumps, so I came out (of the tuck) early. As I came down onto the road, I was really working on some technique things, keeping my skis working well and keeping my knees parallel and keeping things flowing."

The training success didn't end with Street as Caroline Lalive (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) finished 2nd in 1:42.57.

"I think it's a great start for us, a definite confidence booster" said Lalive. "But you know, it's the first training run and you've got to keep the ball rolling all week. Today is not the race, but it is definitely a good feeling, a good start."

Also joining Street and Lalive in the top 10 were Jonna Mendes (Heavenly, Calif.) in 6th (1:43.28) and Kirsten Clark (Raymond, Maine) in 9th (1:43.49), who tied with Canada's Melanie Turgeon.

Sibylle Brauner of Germany finished 3rd Saturday with a time of 1:42.87.

The women's second and final training run is scheduled for today at 1 p.m. MST.

— Courtesy Scott Flanders, US Ski and Snowboard Association