Italy's Nadia Fanchini continued her comeback from a heart condition by clocking the fastest training time for the World Cup downhill at Whistlet that will also serve as the test event for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics.

Fanchini, who missed the first part of the season because of an irregular heart beat, shot down Franz's Downhill course in a time of one minute, 46.45 seconds.

The first skier out of the start hut, Fanchini took advantage of the ideal early conditions to produce the day's best effort ahead of Switzerland's Nadia Styger in 1:47.10 and Austria's Andrea Fischbacher on 1:47.35.

It was another impressive effort by the young Italian, who only returned to race action last month in Cortina and was quickly back on the podium with a third place finish in the Sestriere downhill on February 9, equalling her career best result.

"The course was really nice, very smooth but maybe it got a little rougher," Fanchini, 21, said.

"I am not looking so much for results, I'm just trying my best."

American Lindsey Vonn and Canadian Britt Janyk, who topped opening training on Tuesday, both failed to feature but remain among the favourites for Friday's race.

Winner of four-of-seven downhills this season, Vonn can clinch the World Cup downhill crystal globe with a top four finish in Whistler, while Janyk, who grew up learning to ski on Whistler mountain, will hope home hill advantage will bring her a second career win.

"It (a win) is important for confidence but also this is our hill, this is our Olympic hill," said Janyk.

"I think as a group we kind of want to tell the Europeans, this is our spot and we're not going to let them get in it.

"By coming out for every training run and performing and getting good results we want to put our stamp on this course and make it ours."

The women's downhill will be just one of four Olympic test events to be staged on Whistler mountain this week.

The men will get their first look at the Dave Murray downhill course on Thursday when they run a super-G which will be followed by the women's downhill on Friday, a men's giant slalom on Saturday and a women's super-combined on Sunday.

Reuters