The American superstar was third when half the starting field had completed their runs, 37 hundredths of a second behind national team colleague Breezy Johnson, who was fastest.
The fact that Vonn will compete in the Olympic downhill race on Sunday, just over a week after the serious crash in Crans-Montana, has astonished the world.
"In practice, this means that you risk getting a knee that biologically corresponds to an 80-year-old's knee significantly earlier in life," wrote sports physician Matilda Lundblad in a text message to TT earlier this week.
