Vonn to make late decision on Super G

By Manuele Lang

GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) - Defending champion Lindsey Vonn, still suffering from mild concussion after a crash last week, said she will make a last-minute decision on whether to race in Tuesday's women's Super G at the world championships.

Vonn, who has made a habit of suffering injuries before big events including one which put her in doubt for the Olympics last year, told Reuters this was the "scariest" she had ever suffered as it took away her concentration.

"I'll make a decision I can race as close to the start time as possible," the American, the dominant force in women's skiing, told Reuters on the eve of the world championship's opening event.

"This isn't like my other injuries. It's not about pain, I can't just fight through it. I don't have focus and concentration and that to me makes it the scariest and hardest injury I've ever had to deal with."

Vonn, winner of the overall World Cup for the last three years, suffered a training crash last week.

She missed the slalom at Zwiesel on Friday before struggling through a giant slalom at Zwiesel on Sunday, finishing an exhausted and modest 18th.

"I had some major problems," she said. "I felt pretty good until about halfway down the course, from their to the finish I just lost concentration completely.

"I couldn't focus anymore and on both runs, I lost almost one second in the last 15 seconds.

"Today I trained super G and felt better but I'm not perfect, I'm hoping things get better for tomorrow.

"I don't just crash before big events, I crash all the time," she said. "It's unfortunate but it happens in ski-racing."

Vonn was in doubt until the last minute before the Vancouver Olympics because of a painful foot injury but went on to win gold in the downhill and bronze in the Super G.

"It's going to be difficult for me. If I couldn't race tomorrow, it would be awful, the worst possible scenario," she said.

(Writing by Brian Homewood: Editing by Justin Palmer)