SOELDEN, Austria (AP) ê The most exciting thing for Julia Mancuso this season is being healthy again.

Last season was a disaster for the American who trains at Squaw Valley Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe. Bothered by back and hip injuries, Mancuso’s best result was sixth in a giant slalom in Semmering, Austria.

She placed a dismal 27th in the overall World Cup standings after four consecutive seasons in the top 10, including a third-place showing in 2006-07 when she vied for the title.

“I’m excited. I feel like a new person,” said Mancuso, who won giant slalom gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics. “My back has gotten so much better. I don’t even feel it now. It was just a matter of working out the kinks. I think it’s the best for like six years. I’ve been dealing with a lot of injuries, little ones and then a big one last year.

“Everything is feeling really good, the hip, everything.”

U.S. head coach Jim Tracy even believes Mancuso could contend for the overall crown again.

A year ago, Mancuso spent her summer climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and reporting for NBC at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Offseason training in South America seemed to be secondary.

Not so this year.

“I didn’t do anything too out of the ordinary. I skied a lot,” she said. “I’m excited. I still have a lot of years ahead of me.”

With the Vancouver Olympics this February, Mancuso likes the timing of her return to health.

“Having an off year last year couldn’t have come at a better time,” she said. “You learn from every experience. It was only a small step back that I think is going to bring me many more steps forward.”

At 25 — the same age as teammate and two-time defending overall winner Lindsey Vonn — Mancuso has the potential to be just as versatile as her longtime rival.

Though giant slalom remains her best event, Mancuso can also excel at downhill, super-G and combined.

“They feel equal,” Mancuso said. “GS is going really well and I’m really excited about the speed tour and downhill.”

Mancuso is sticking with Rossignol even though the struggling French ski manufacturer asked all of its athletes to accept cuts in their endorsement deals over the summer. Vonn departed for Head and is still getting used to her new skis.

“I’m super-psyched about my Rossis. I actually love all the new stuff. We’ve actually taken a few steps back in some of the models,” Mancuso said. “They’re working awesome for me. Nothing has changed.”

Mancuso is ready for the season-opening race on Saturday, a giant slalom on the Rettenbach glacier, a race in which she was the runner-up two years ago.

“I like Soelden, my skis are feeling really good for me,” she said. “It’s always a little nerve-racking going into the first race and especially because it’s such a steep hill, but I look forward to it.”

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