Croatia's Ivica Kostelic slaloms past a pole on his way to win an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
. world ski news : Another great win and overall lead for Ivica Kostelic at Adelboden - 09 ßíóàðè 2011 - 15:42
ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. After a thrilling battle with the course conditions and a group of determined Austrians, Ivica Kostelic celebrated his first season victory in a ‘Classic’ World Cup race at Adelboden beating three very determined Austrians after two impressive runs. The Croatian slalom artist finished 26/100 of a second ahead of Marcel Hirscher, the winner at Val d’Isère, while Reinfried Herbst came in 3rd at 1,29 seconds.
Croatia's Ivica Kostelic slaloms past a pole on his way to win an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Austria's Marcel Hirscher speeds down the course during the first run of an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Two-time slalom World Champion Mario Matt achieved a strong comeback at the top with his 4th place after starting the first run in 43rd position! Canada’s Michael Janyk finally scored his first points this season with his promising 5th place ahead of Germany Felix Neureuther. Andre Myhrer, the super winner at Zagreb on Thursday was a distant 16th this time.
Austria's Mario Matt slaloms past a pole on his way to take fourth place in an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Switzerland’s Silvan Zurbriggen didn’t manage to improve his slalom form after his disappointing show at Zagreb last week and had to be content with a more modest 10th place.
Croatia's Ivica Kostelic celebrates on podium after winning an alpine ski, men's World Cup slalom in Adelboden, Switzerland, Sunday, Jan. 9, 2011. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)
Kostelic, 3rd at Levi, in Finland, and 2nd in Zagreb, took over the lead in both the slalom and the overall standings prior the next key races at nearby Wengen, where, weather permitting, a Super-combined, a downhill and a slalom are planned during the weekend.
First world Cup points for Ivica in December 2000
Ten years ago, a young little-known Croatian racer scored his first World Cup points at Sestrière, finishing 21st in the night slalom won by Norway’s Olympic champion Hans Petter Buraas. He added a few more points in two other races at Wengen and Schladming and ended the overall World Cup standings in 107th position, far from the winner Hermann Maier.
Yet that season was a huge success for him – and not only because his sister Janica, coming back from a gruelling knee injury sustained in a terrible crash at St. Moritz the previous season, managed to beat all the established favorites to clinch her first overall title.
In November 1999, the skier from Zagreb had suffered a bad crash in a Super-G at Beaver Creek, Colorado, severely damaging his knee. He needed much time to find back his form afterwards. A month later, it was the turn of Janica to hurt herself at St. Moritz after winning her first slaloms at Serre Chevalier and Sestriere - so both were happy to achieve such a promising comeback in 2001.
The following winters were marked by tough moments for both and incredible highlights achieved by the siblings including their first gold medal win in slalom at St. Moritz in 2003 and victories on the same day in January 2003 – Janica at Bormio and Ivica at Kranjska Gora! Then Janica stepped down in 2006 after clinching another Olympic title at Sestriere and her third overall crystal globe., so all the interest of their sports fanatic country moved to her older brother.
Ivica’s main goal
Since ever, Ivica’s main goal has been to become an complete skier able to excel in all specialities, yet his knee injuries at the beginning of his career forced him to focus on slalom when he returned on the tour. He set an impressive record at his first victory at Aspen in November 2001, a few days after his 22nd birthday, as he has started the first run with bib 64!
Later on in March, he captured the slalom World Cup title after a fierce battle against Bode Miller – after Janica’s amazing Olympic hat-trick at Salt Lake City.
After a series of up-and-down-seasons and three encouraging Olympic silver medals in 2006 and 2010 in combined and slalom, Ivica is finally where he has dreamed for year to be at that period of the season – in the ‘hot seat’ as leader of the overall World Cup standings. His latest impressive triumph at Adelboden – his 13th on the World Cup tour – propelled him in the lead with a total of 504 points – 71 more than Saturday’s giant slalom winner Aksel Lund Svindal from Norway, and 84 more than Switzerland’s Silvan Zurbriggen.
The season is still long
Except a series of amazing performances in the coming weeks by Austria’s veteran Benjamin Raich or Switzerland’s defending overall champion Carlo Janka, who did well in Saturday’s first giant slalom run, the final winner in March should belong to this group of three outstanding skiers.
“The season is still long and a lot of things can still happen but for sure it’s better to be in my position now than behind with a delay of hundred or two hundred points,” he told the press with a grin. “I’ll do my best to defend my chances in the coming months but without losing my main focus which is to ski each time as well and intensively as possible,” Ivica also explained at the press conference.
“I feel strong and in charge for the moment, my recent win at Munich gave me much momentum and I’m having a lot of fun right now,” added the Croat who spent more time last summer with diving and relaxing on the Adriatic coast than training in the gym or on snow. In past years, he was very tense which often created aching health problems such as strong back pains. In February 2009, he could not compete at the FIS Worlds at Val d’Isère because of his bad back!
“I enjoy competing on traditional slopes as this one here at Adelboden where so many spectators who really appreciate ski racing are encouraging all the racers,” Kostelic also said. “I was lucky to wear bib number one this morning and I was able to make the best out of it on that very demanding course set by that German trainer. It was a technically very interesting course which perfectly suited me.”
“The second run was different yet I had to give my best as Hirscher did a great job there. I watched him going down through the first gates and I knew that I also had to go for it. He was attacking hard. I even saw his tracks on the last turns and I was amazed to see how he managed to keep on curving so well in the final gates. It was an exciting battle which gives me much energy.”
Kostelic is looking forward with even more excitement to the next weekend of racing at Wengen where he already won the slalom twice. “It’s a very special place, the mountains are so beautiful and I like the entire atmosphere there. I would be happy to do better than in recent years in the Super-combined but the downhill is not so good for me with all its gliding sections. But I will just do my best as usual without thinking about the points.”
Ivica, who is travelling with his own group of trainers which include his dad Ante, also receives crucial advises of his successful sister who has been on his side for a few years now. “Janica is a true expert, she knows what it means to move at a certain level and her inside information are always great,” he also commented after the race. “I’ll never be as relaxed as she was – she was born with that gift – but I have learned to be extremely focused. It helps me a lot now.”
Contributed by PkL
FISalpine.com
Sunday 9 January 2011
Place Adelboden (SUI) Discipline Slalom
Date 09.01.2011 Category FIS World Cup
Race codex 1406 Gender M
Valid for FIS Points YES TD Name Zingerle Josef (ITA)
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
1 1 380260 KOSTELIC Ivica 1979 CRO 55.24 55.66 1:50.90 0.00
2 9 53831 HIRSCHER Marcel 1989 AUT 56.02 55.14 1:51.16 1.43
3 5 50605 HERBST Reinfried 1978 AUT 57.68 54.51 1:52.19 7.10
4 43 50707 MATT Mario 1979 AUT 58.07 54.38 1:52.45 8.53
5 13 102435 JANYK Michael 1982 CAN 56.74 55.76 1:52.50 8.80
6 12 201702 NEUREUTHER Felix 1984 GER 57.09 55.56 1:52.65 9.63
7 26 500656 LARSSON Markus 1979 SWE 57.09 55.63 1:52.72 10.01
8 17 192506 MISSILLIER Steve 1984 FRA 57.36 55.48 1:52.84 10.67
9 27 501101 BYGGMARK Jens 1985 SWE 58.02 54.86 1:52.88 10.89
10 4 510890 ZURBRIGGEN Silvan 1981 SUI 57.26 55.64 1:52.90 11.00
11 24 910000 IMBODEN Urs 1975 MDA 58.60 54.56 1:53.16 12.43
12 38 561148 SKUBE Matic 1988 SLO 58.82 54.45 1:53.27 13.04
13 11 501111 HARGIN Mattias 1985 SWE 56.81 56.51 1:53.32 13.31
14 8 50624 PRANGER Manfred 1978 AUT 56.58 56.86 1:53.44 13.97
15 22 501223 BAECK Axel 1987 SWE 58.08 55.46 1:53.54 14.52
16 7 501017 MYHRER Andre 1983 SWE 56.71 56.84 1:53.55 14.58
17 29 102912 SPENCE Brad 1984 CAN 58.78 55.08 1:53.86 16.28
18 30 301709 YUASA Naoki 1983 JPN 58.97 55.00 1:53.97 16.89
19 46 150594 TREJBAL Filip 1985 CZE 58.86 55.40 1:54.26 18.48
20 44 102922 WHITE Trevor 1984 CAN 59.00 55.34 1:54.34 18.92
21 40 510997 BERTHOD Marc 1983 SUI 58.55 55.89 1:54.44 19.47
22 45 511896 MURISIER Justin 1992 SUI 58.95 55.67 1:54.62 20.46
23 71 480736 KHOROSHILOV Alexander 1984 RUS 59.02 55.94 1:54.96 22.33
24 37 530165 BRANDENBURG Will 1987 USA 58.85 56.24 1:55.09 23.05
25 48 193347 TISSOT Maxime 1986 FRA 58.82 58.08 1:56.90 33.00
26 25 301312 SASAKI Akira 1981 JPN 58.30 59.77 1:58.07 39.44
27 18 560355 VALENCIC Mitja 1978 SLO 58.58 1:02.74 2:01.32 57.31
28 52 293797 GROSS Stefano 1986 ITA 58.35 1:11.09 2:09.44 101.98
Disqualified 2nd run
20 511127 GINI Marc 1984 SUI
Disqualified 1st run
39 102727 STUTZ Paul 1983 CAN
3 192665 GRANGE Jean-Baptiste 1984 FRA
Did not start 1st run
33 421328 SVINDAL Aksel Lund 1982 NOR
31 421483 JANSRUD Kjetil 1985 NOR
Did not qualify 1st run
77 103646 ZAITSOFF Sasha 1990 CAN
75 30149 SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier 1980 ARG
72 201896 STEHLE Dominik 1986 GER
69 990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni 1990 ITA
68 380292 ZRNCIC-DIM Natko 1986 CRO
67 511908 SCHMIDIGER Reto 1992 SUI
66 380290 SAMSAL Dalibor 1985 CRO
64 560425 VAJDIC Bernard 1980 SLO
60 202462 DOPFER Fritz 1987 GER
59 194364 PINTURAULT Alexis 1991 FRA
58 192504 MERMILLOD BLONDIN Thomas 1984 FRA
57 421669 HAUGEN Leif Kristian 1987 NOR
56 532138 KASPER Nolan 1989 USA
53 150644 KRYZL Krystof 1986 CZE
51 50981 HOERL Wolfgang 1983 AUT
47 511174 VOGEL Markus 1984 SUI
41 290732 THALER Patrick 1978 ITA
35 50547 SCHOENFELDER Rainer 1977 AUT
28 501116 LAHDENPERAE Anton 1985 SWE
Did not finish 2nd run
42 180251 PALANDER Kalle 1977 FIN
Did not finish 1st run
78 92562 PRISADOV Stefan 1990 BUL
76 293006 INNERHOFER Christof 1984 ITA
74 180534 SANDELL Marcus 1987 FIN
73 501557 PIETILAE HOLMNER Johan 1991 SWE
70 220083 BAXTER Noel 1981 GBR
65 193986 PLACE Francois 1989 FRA
63 150495 VRABLIK Martin 1982 CZE
62 500909 ANDERSSON Oscar 1982 SWE
61 193967 MUFFAT JEANDET Victor 1989 FRA
55 250127 BJORGVINSSON Bjorgvin 1980 ISL
54 501255 OEHAGEN Johan 1987 SWE
50 50931 BECHTER Patrick 1982 AUT
49 102456 BIGGS Patrick 1982 CAN
36 50824 DREIER Christoph 1981 AUT
34 534508 CHODOUNSKY David 1984 USA
32 532431 MILLER Bode 1977 USA
23 150398 BANK Ondrej 1980 CZE
21 421400 MYHRE Lars Elton 1984 NOR
19 291145 DEVILLE Cristian 1981 ITA
16 534562 LIGETY Ted 1984 USA
15 293098 RAZZOLI Giuliano 1984 ITA
14 102239 COUSINEAU Julien 1981 CAN
10 292491 MOELGG Manfred 1982 ITA
6 50625 RAICH Benjamin 1978 AUT
2 191459 LIZEROUX Julien 1979 FRA