Sawt Falasteen - Veteran Vonn pays tribute to the Street she grew up on

Street, the Olympic super-G champion in Nagano in 1998 and world downhill champion in 1996, learnt to ski at the small, desirable, ski station nestled in the wild immensity of the Rockies.

The resort has already named a ski run and a thoroughfare -- Picabo Street, naturally -- named after her. On Monday, a statue will be unveiled.

"She should have gotten that a long time ago," said Vonn, herself an Olympic and world champion, on Friday. "There aren't many ski racers who have statues."

"She's done a lot for the sport," said Vonn, who is coming back after almost six years in retirement.

"She inspired me when I was nine years old. She really inspired a generation of skiers. She's an amazing character. She's more than an athlete."

Vonn said Saturday's downhill -- and Sunday's Super-G, where she is also due to take part -- may be her final competitive appearances on American slopes.

"When I heard the World Cup finals were in Sun Valley, I was really sad because I was like, 'Well, I really would have loved to race there'. And lo and behold, I'm here racing," Vonn said on Friday.

Vonn met Street at the age of nine. Both skiers remember the encounter.

"I was signing autographs at a ski shop. She was nine years old," Street told AFP. "I remember she had a fire in her eyes and a focus."

"I just told her, just stand up tall and be proud and be you, smile and go for it."

"She is probably the hardest worker I've ever met," said Street. "Everything she does, she does it as hard as she can."

"I was always bugging her to get out of her weight room to do fun stuff, but she stayed focused," said Street.

- 'Very, very brave' -

Over the years Street shared many dinners with Vonn who is also friends with the older skier's four sons aged between 15 and 21.

"I think it's very, very brave what she's doing. It's amazing to me that she is still brave enough to ski," said Street.

"The best thing for me to see is that she's smiling and she's happy. That's all I wanted for her throughout her career."

"She needs a challenge in her life and skiing and racing provide the biggest, most complicated and intricate challenge that she can find and so she's going for it. And I think it's beautiful."

Vonn is dreaming of taking part in her fifth Winter Olympics next year,

"To see her qualify for the finals in her first season is spectacular, and I'm already looking forward to seeing her in Cortina next year. I can see her getting one or two medals, that's for sure," said Street, who works for US Olympic broadcaster NBC.

Street was happy the World Cup had returned to her home resort, where elks roam between the condos, for the first time since 1977. Back then Street, who turned six that spring, was a spectator, lying on the ground to peer under the fences, and remembers watching Jean-Claude Killy and Ingemar Stenmark compete.

"I grew up in this environment, and sometimes I cry and tell myself it's unreal, and sometimes I just enjoy the magic of the place," said Street.

F.AbuZaid--SF-PST