. world ski news : Sweden's Lindell-Vikarby wins super-G in Cortina - 26 January 2009 - 14:32
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy – Jessica Lindell-Vikarby of Sweden won a super-G Monday for her first World Cup victory, taking advantage of soft snow that hampered all the race favorites.
American Lindsey Vonn finished eighth and extended her lead in the overall World Cup standings ahead of Maria Riesch and Anja Paerson, who both fell and did not finish.
Lindell-Vikarby sped down the 1.15-mile Olympia delle Tofane course in 1 minute, 25.13 seconds. Anna Fenninger of Austria finished second, 0.81 seconds behind, and Andrea Dettling of Switzerland was third, 0.87 back.
"I didn't make any mistakes. I was really fast on top, especially at that one gate where everyone got pushed around," Lindell-Vikarby said. "Cortina has always been one of my favorite places and I know the course really well. This is my fifth time here."
Vonn was unsatisfied with her performance, though, and upset with her ski man of the past three seasons, Niclas Cronsell — who formerly worked with Swedish standout Pernilla Wiberg.
"I think we missed the wax today, because I had a perfect run," she said. "That would have normally won me the race. I really feel confident on this hill in super-G and I skied absolutely perfect. I mean I was pushing the line, I was clean everywhere, I was tucking everywhere. The skis were definitely not running today."
Vonn has not won a super-G in two years.
Still, the American leads the overall standings with 914 points. Riesch is next with 810 points and Paerson was joined in third by Sunday's giant slalom winner Kathrin Zettel with 775 points each. Zettel was 11th in the super-G.
Nadia Fanchini of Italy finished fifth and moved to the top of the super-G standings with 205 points. Fabienne Suter is next with 176 points and Lindell-Vikarby is third with 156.
It marked the best career results for each of the top three finishers.
Lindell-Vikarby's previous best result was third in a super-G in Lake Louise, Alberta, two seasons ago. Fenninger won two golds in giant slalom and combined at last year's junior world championships in Formigal, Spain, plus a gold in super-G at the 2006 junior worlds in Le Massif, Quebec.
The favorites did not seem prepared for the sunny conditions and warm temperatures, which softened the snow.
Paerson was 0.43 faster than teammate Lindell-Vikarby midway down, then lost an edge at high speed, crashed through a gate and came to a stop in the safety netting. She got right up and made her way down the rest of the course on one ski.
Paerson said she bruised her right elbow, but that it was "nothing serious." Paerson also bruised her left knee while landing a jump in Saturday's downhill.
"It's getting better every day," Paerson said of her knee. "I'm going to take a day off tomorrow and mend it."
Paerson waited with Lindell-Vikarby as the final skiers came down, then celebrated with her teammate.
Lindell-Vikarby finished eighth and ninth in the super-G here the past two years.
"We already knew she could do it last year, so when I saw her race today I knew it was a perfect run," Paerson said. "We had our tactics and she knew exactly what she was supposed to do. I knew she would be there for the victory if I wasn't."
At the world championships, which begin in Val d'Isere, France, next week, Paerson has three titles to defend.
Riesch had already lost significant time before she went out in the same spot as Paerson. The German also bruised her arm.
Emily Brydon of Canada also fell in the technical section and had a minor cut on her leg.
The race was rescheduled from last week following a blizzard that dumped more than four feet of fresh snow on Cortina.
By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer
The Associated Press