2010 Winter Olympics: Wednesday at the Games

Mancuso going for 3rd medal

VANCOUVER — Julia Mancuso's season has turned from disappointment to surprising success.

The American skier has bounced back when it matters most with two silver medals at the Vancouver Olympics. She'll try for another medal today in the giant slalom.

Mancuso won the giant slalom at the 2006 Torino Games and enjoyed some success in the world championships the following year. She appeared to be in decline entering these Games because of back problems.

Those struggles were all but forgotten when she won silver in the downhill last week, then took another silver in the super combined.

Aerial finals for women today

VANCOUVER — Aerials credentials have been, well, up in the air. An Olympic gold medal on a resume and outstanding World Cup form have guaranteed almost nothing at Cypress Mountain.

Evelyne Leu of Switzerland, the defending Olympic gold medalist, fell by the wayside in women's qualifying, as she somersaulted on her landing.

The top four qualifiers for Wednesday's women's final include 30-year-old four-time Olympian Alla Tsuper of Belarus, followed by No. 1-ranked Nina Li and two other Chinese competitors.

Three Americans made the final 12: Emily Cook, Draper's Lacy Schnoor and teenager Ashley Caldwell. Cook and Schnoor qualified fifth and sixth, respectively. Caldwell squeaked in, placing 12th.

By the numbers

Apolo Anton Ohno already has the U.S. record with seven Winter Olympic medals. He'll begin his quest for an eighth tonight with the 500-meter short-track preliminaries.