. world ski news : Kathrin Hoelzl wins Aspen GS - 28 Íîåìâðè 2009 - 22:28
Kathrin Hoelzl was the woman to beat all day at the World Cup giant slalom event in Aspen, but nobody could get passed her. The German world GS champion won the first run and then the race with a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 9.63 seconds, on a course that many racers classify as the most difficult on the women's GS circuit.
"It was very very icy, but my material was perfect," Hoelzl said. "I had very strong edges and that was the right thing today. You have to fight on every gate. That's what I like."
Though she is the reigning world GS champ, Saturday's race marked Hoelzl's inaugural World Cup victory and she said it was a dream come true.
"I feel great today," she said. "In the morning when I woke up I was ready to race today and to win."
Despite their best intentions, the U.S. Team didn't fair as well as it would have liked in front of its home crowd.
Julia Mancuso was the top American, finishing 13th in 2:12.79, while Sarah Schleper was 23rd (2:13.75). Megan McJames made the second run cut but missed a gate at the top of the course and Lindsey Vonn hit a rock in the first run and was slowed significantly to miss the second run cut while Stacey Cook and Leanne Smith also finished too late in the first run to make the top 30 flip.
"I'm just looking forward to tomorrow," Vonn said. "I've hit rocks in training but it's the first time it's ever happened to me in a race. It's unfortunate it happened in Aspen but you just got to take what you get. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day."
As Vonn made her way through the media area after the first run, a large group of children screamed her name and Vonn later joined them to talk and sign autographs.
"These guys are out here cheering for me and they don't care if I come in last place," she said. "They're still cheering for me. That definitey makes me happy."
Mancuso said she could have been more aggressive in the second run but was pleased to be back in the top 15.
"The second run could have been better, but I made it to the finish and I'm feeling pretty good," Mancuso said. "It was much better than Soelden and it's a good place to start. I'm psyched."
Schleper was pleased with the top of her second run but reeled it in too much from the middle coming into the finish.
"I think I went too round," she said. "I was arcing everything. In that way I improved, but I think I was still too conservative. The middle section is so technical and demanding. The terrain is so undulating, it's the iciest part of the course. If you're not charging and super-confident, it's really easy to lose time."
Austrian Kathrin Zettel, who won the Aspen GS in 2006, was second Saturday, .24 seconds behind Hoelzl and Italian Federica Brignone was 1.13 seconds back in third for her first ever World Cup podium.
"I'm really excited about the result," said Brignone, who is the daughter of famed former Italian tech specialist Maria Rosa Quario. "I didn't expect a race like this. The slope is really good. It was really icy. I had a big mistake on last part of the first run, but the second run ... it was perfect."
Zettel, who also finished second earlier this season in Soelden and missed the Levi slalom due to illness, said Aspen is a special place for her.
"I like Aspen very much," Zettel said. "You have to fight on this course and work very hard, but I really like it here."
For a few moments during the second run it looked as if Italians were going to rule the day. Brignone's teammates Manuela Moelgg, Nicole Gius and Denise Karbon each had a few seconds in the leader's box and all ended up in the top 10, finishing seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.
The women's World Cup continues Sunday with slalom in Aspen. Watch the race live on universalsports.com.
The SCOOP
Women's Giant Slalom, Aspen, Colorado, USA, Nov. 28, 2009. … It is the third of 32 races on the women's 2009-2010 World Cup schedule, the second of seven scheduled giant slaloms. … It is the 63rd World Cup hosted at Aspen. … The 17th GS. … the 11th women's GS. … French skier Tessa Worley won last season's GS. … It is the first of two Cup races scheduled at Aspen with a slalom to follow.
It is the first career World Cup win for Kathrin Hoelzl, her previous best a second at Lenzerheide in GS March 18, 2007. … She was also third in GS at Maribor last season (Jan. 10). … Her previous best result at Aspen was sixth also in GS in Nov of 2007.
It is the 25th career World Cup podium for Kathrin Zettel, her 13th in GS. … She won the Aspen GS Nov. 25, 2006, was second in 2009 and third in 2005. … She also has two podiums at Aspen in slalom, both third places finishes in 2005 and 2007.
It is just the second World Cup scoring result ever for Federica Brignone and her first podium. … Her other result was 21st in GS at Soelden earlier this season (Oct. 24). … She is just 19 years old.
Julia Mancuso matches her 80th best career mark in 13th. … Sarah Schleper her 78th best in 23rd. … It is Schleper's best result since Aspen a year ago when she finished 13th. … It is the career first World Cup scoring result for Marie Pier Prefontaine.
Tanja Poutiainen (26th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 165-160 over Zettel. … Hoelzl is third at 136. … Lindsey Vonn (did not qualify) is the top American in sixth with 109.
by Shauna Farnell and Hank McKee
SkiRacing.com
28/11/2009
Equipment
Women's Giant Slalom, Aspen, Nov. 28, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Hoelzl, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
2 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Brigone, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
4 Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Brem, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Rossignol
7 Moelgg, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
8 Gius, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
9 Karbon, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
10 Rebensburg, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
Official results:
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
1 2 205993 HOELZL Kathrin 1984 GER 1:03.70 1:05.93 2:09.63 0.00
2 5 55838 ZETTEL Kathrin 1986 AUT 1:04.10 1:05.77 2:09.87 1.63
3 34 297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA 1:05.12 1:05.64 2:10.76 7.67
4 1 505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE 1:04.25 1:06.93 2:11.18 10.52
5 24 55898 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT 1:04.30 1:07.46 2:11.76 14.46
6 6 565243 MAZE Tina 1983 SLO 1:04.91 1:06.95 2:11.86 15.14
7 8 296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA 1:06.09 1:05.78 2:11.87 15.21
8 20 295435 GIUS Nicole 1980 ITA 1:05.67 1:06.26 2:11.93 15.61
9 7 295445 KARBON Denise 1980 ITA 1:05.66 1:06.30 2:11.96 15.82
10 11 205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria 1989 GER 1:05.84 1:06.49 2:12.33 18.33
11 55 196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie 1988 FRA 1:05.35 1:06.99 2:12.34 18.40
12 23 196851 BERTRAND Olivia 1989 FRA 1:05.11 1:07.52 2:12.63 20.37
13 18 537545 MANCUSO Julia 1984 USA 1:05.51 1:07.28 2:12.79 21.45
14 16 206001 RIESCH Maria 1984 GER 1:05.79 1:07.12 2:12.91 22.27
15 12 196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA 1:05.11 1:07.94 2:13.05 23.22
16 48 196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone 1988 FRA 1:06.37 1:06.70 2:13.07 23.35
17 21 196179 BERTRAND Marion 1984 FRA 1:05.75 1:07.35 2:13.10 23.56
18 28 296379 GIANESINI Giulia 1984 ITA 1:06.66 1:06.55 2:13.21 24.30
19 43 505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE 1:06.74 1:06.51 2:13.25 24.57
20 40 435210 GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka 1987 POL 1:06.87 1:06.66 2:13.53 26.48
21 13 55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT 1:06.63 1:06.99 2:13.62 27.09
22 10 505483 PAERSON Anja 1981 SWE 1:06.16 1:07.51 2:13.67 27.43
23 35 536481 SCHLEPER Sarah 1979 USA 1:06.58 1:07.17 2:13.75 27.97
24 36 296509 CURTONI Irene 1985 ITA 1:05.78 1:08.17 2:13.95 29.33
25 44 106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier 1988 CAN 1:07.21 1:07.41 2:14.62 33.87
26 4 185140 POUTIAINEN Tanja 1980 FIN 1:06.05 1:08.75 2:14.80 35.10
27 38 425629 LOESETH Lene 1986 NOR 1:07.06 1:07.76 2:14.82 35.23
Disqualified 1st run
15 196725 BARIOZ Taina 1988 FRA
14 55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea 1985 AUT
Did not start 1st run
45 296354 COSTAZZA Chiara 1984 ITA
Did not qualify 1st run
69 415128 JARVIS Sarah 1986 NZE
67 155586 KMOCHOVA Tereza 1990 CZE
66 385027 FLEISS Nika 1984 CRO
65 435189 KLUS Aleksandra 1986 POL
63 185271 LEINONEN Sanni 1989 FIN
61 305944 KIYOSAWA Emiko 1983 JPN
58 565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO
57 315149 LOLOVIC Jelena 1981 SRB
56 537582 COOK Stacey 1984 USA
54 106022 JANYK Britt 1980 CAN
51 515692 GRAND Rabea 1984 SUI
49 425887 LOESETH Mona 1991 NOR
46 565268 DREV Ana 1985 SLO
42 515849 DETTLING Andrea 1987 SUI
41 538305 SMITH Leanne 1987 USA
39 355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE
37 55766 MADER Regina 1985 AUT
29 105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN
26 505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica 1984 SWE
22 195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid 1978 FRA
17 515766 SUTER Fabienne 1985 SUI
9 537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA
3 55576 GOERGL Elisabeth 1981 AUT
Did not finish 2nd run
32 296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA
30 538284 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA
25 225206 ALCOTT Chemmy 1982 GBR
Did not finish 1st run
68 35079 SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen 1982 ARG
64 385034 FERK Matea 1987 CRO
62 55885 STRENG Simone 1987 AUT
60 425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR
59 515997 FEIERABEND Denise 1989 SUI
53 505610 BORSSEN Therese 1984 SWE
52 505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE
50 55947 FENNINGER Anna 1989 AUT
47 106666 RUBENS Shona 1986 CAN
33 55952 HACKL Karin 1989 AUT
31 155415 ZAHROBSKA Sarka 1985 CZE
27 515733 BONJOUR Aline 1985 SUI
19 55818 KOEHLE Stefanie 1986 AUT