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BEAVER CREEK, Colo. -- Lindsey Vonn knows it was just some youthful exuberance when teenager Mikaela Shiffrin playfully announced she was dreaming of winning five gold medals at the next Winter Olympics. Vonn certainly appreciates such a lofty goal by Shiffrin, who captured the slalom title at the Sochi Games last month. A light-hearted warning, though. "Im going to compete in the 2018 Olympics," Vonn said with a laugh. "So shes going to have tough competition in the speed events." With four years down the road in mind, Vonn is taking it slow with her surgically repaired right knee. She said she doesnt anticipate a return to racing until early December. The four-time overall World Cup champion had her ACL fixed for a second time in January, sidelining her for Sochi. As it turned out, there was "quite a bit of meniscus damage" in the knee and thats caused her to push back her time frame. Vonn hopes to train on snow by October and be racing in Lake Louise, Alberta, two months later, on a hill where shes always done well. But thats all tentative. No sense rushing back to racing, no matter how antsy shes growing to step back into the starting gate. "If I have to push the date back when I start, so be it," Vonn told The Associated Press on Saturday. "To ensure the next four years go smoothly, I have to give this meniscus some time to heal." In between rehabilitation sessions, the 29-year-old Vonn is finding plenty of other things to occupy her time. Shes sneaking in some fly fishing with her dog, Leo, starting a new foundation and having coffee with skiing great Annemarie Moser-Proell, whose record Vonn is chasing. Vonn remains three wins from matching the World Cup record of 62 race victories by Moser-Proell. "She wants me to break her record," Vonn said. "You dont see that. I think shes a really, really nice person and I really enjoyed spending time with her." Vonn ventured around Beaver Creek on Saturday to support "Ski Girls Rock," a program that focuses on empowering girls through skiing. She met with the kids, signed autographs, posed for pictures and then called a brief timeout to sit on an outdoor couch near a fire pit to rest her knee and film a video. She put an ice bag on the knee as she settled into the couch. "The knee is coming along nicely," she said. "Its obviously a slow process, but Im making progress every day, so thats good." Vonn has already decided shes not even going to try to walk every hole as she trails boyfriend Tiger Woods around at the Masters next month -- provided, of course, Woods even plays, given his ailing back. "Well see how far I make it," Vonn said. "With my meniscus the way it is, its not great to be on my feet all the time." Vonn tore two ligaments in her right knee during a high-speed crash at the world championships in February 2013. She then re-injured her surgically repaired ACL in a crash during training last November. Vonn tried to rehab the knee in time for Sochi, but sprained her MCL racing a downhill in France on Dec. 21. Even though it was difficult not competing in Sochi, Vonn said she caught nearly all of the races. However, her computer crashed just before the second run of the womens slalom. She missed quite a recovery from Shiffrin, who overcame a major mistake to win gold. "Mikaela is skiing incredible," Vonn said. "With her slalom, shes in a league of her own right now." Very soon, Shiffrin will be stepping into Vonns domain -- the speed events. Shiffrin recently squeezed in some super-G training at Beaver Creek on Raptor, the race hill for the world championships next February. She may just ski a few speed events next season. "Ideally, I would race my first super-G with all these girls at the world champions at Beaver Creek and win," said Shiffrin, who was thrown a welcome-home party by Vail on Friday. "Thats my mindset, where Im going to come out of the wood-work and be like, Ive never raced against you girls and Im starting bib 60 and Im going to beat you all. Thats not really possible. But well see how it goes." While Shiffrin is emerging as the next big thing, some of Vonns good friends on the circuit -- like Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany -- are calling it a career. "Its going to be weird to not have them there," Vonn said. "Im just really itching to get back to racing. I want to race. "Thats the only frustration I have in my life right now, which is not bad. It means things are pretty good." Henrik Zetterberg Jersey .Tzavelas opened the scoring in the 11th and Pereyra added another in the 51st. 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Sid Abel Jersey .Y. -- The New York Islanders were merely content with a lopsided victory.MELBOURNE, Australia - In her two-decade career on the tennis tour, Venus Williams has seen plenty of players come and go.She used to take the court against the likes of Steffi Graf and Jennifer Capriati. Now that theyre long since retired, shes playing against women who werent even born when she and her sister Serena turned pro in the mid-1990s.I think everybody we grew up with has moved on, into a mature life, Venus said with a laugh at the Australian Open on Saturday after yet another victory at a Grand Slam tournament — win No. 223, to be exact. We just cant figure out how were still here.At 34, Venus is not just still here — shes playing in the second week of a Grand Slam again after rallying to beat Italian Camila Giorgi, a player more than a decade her junior. Venus was two points from defeat before turning the match around and prevailing 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1.Its her first appearance in the round of 16 of a major since Wimbledon in 2011 and her subsequent disclosure that shed been diagnosed with Sjogrens syndrome, an autoimmune disease that causes fatigue and joint pain.The years since her diagnosis have been trying as shes had to learn how to live with the illness while continuing her career as a pro athlete. Her results began to suffer. Once a constant fixture in the later round of slams, she got used to losing early. Her ranking dipped and she began to face more and more questions about retirement.But Venus never viewed her condition — or her steadily increasing age — as an impediment to being competitive on the court again.The years go by fast, she said. Its definitely been a lot of work andd a lot of learning and a lot of perseverance.dddddddddddd It will continue to be that for me. Just have to come to terms with it.Slowly, shes worked her way back into the top 20 and now, with her win over Giorgi, closer to the top 10 again. And she has a chance to reach the quarterfinals of a major for the first time since the 2010 U.S. Open if she beats her next opponent, sixth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska.Her run at Melbourne Park this week has motivated her sister to rally from a set down in her own third-round match on Saturday and drawn praise from players both young and old.Shes been huge for American tennis. Shes been huge for womens tennis, in general, said 19-year-old American Madison Keys. And even now, shes still playing, still dominating, and its one of those things where you think, hopefully I can have a career like hers one day.Billie Jean King, one of the trailblazers in womens tennis, posted her congratulations on social media following Venus third-round victory.I am inspired by @Venuseswilliams every time she takes the court. Great to see her healthy, competing and loving what she does.Radwanska presents a much stiffer challenge in the next round. Although Venus holds a 5-4 edge in their head-to-head matchups, her last victory came nearly five years ago. Radwanska has won three matches since then, all in straight sets.But Venus isnt counting herself out. Shes still playing to win titles — just like her sister.I think our perspective is were still quite good at what we do, she said. While were here, were going to be here. While were gone, we might watch (tennis) on TV. ' ' '