ALPINE SKI, 23.08.2007, Coronet Peak, New Zealand. Kilian Albrecht of Bulgaria who was among the top ranked seeds edged out one of the other top contenders Lars Elton Myhre from Norway to win the men’s event in a combined time of 1.25.36 to Myhre’s 1.25.75.Fellow Norwegian Lief Kristian Haugen was third in 1.26.25.

US men’s team representative and 2006 Olympic combined champion Ted Ligety won the first run in 42.40 ahead of Albrecht, but a bad mistake in the second run gave him a combined time of 1.39.10, putting him into 15th place.

The only New Zealander to complete the race was second year FIS athlete 16-year-old Rhys Grimmer of Queenstown who finished in 19th place in 2.00.66.

Of the 106 men who started only 22 finished while just 17 of the 56 women entered completed the two runs of the challenging course in the Rocky Gully Arena.

Coronet Peak Head of Race and Events Robin Armstrong says the demanding conditions suited the top competitors but took their toll on the remainder of the field.

“It was an aggressive course and with the second slalom tomorrow (Friday August 24) we will be attempting to have a course more suited to competitors further down the field.”

The international field included competitors from Bulgaria, New Zealand, USA, Japan, Canada, Switzerland, Korea, Great Britain, Australia, Italy and Andorra.

In the women’s field the second seed Moe Hanaoka of Japan managed to head off the top seed Mami Sekizuka, also of Japan, to win in 1.38.11. Sekizuka had a time of 1.38.75 while Miller who completed the hat trick after finishing third in the two giant slalom races in the series, clocked 1.41.08. Her 41 point result will improve her world slalom ranking.

24.08.2007. The second slalom was the final race in the four day series and 91 men and 34 women representing Bulgaria, New Zealand, USA, Japan, Norway, Canada, Switzerland, Korea, Great Britain, Australia, and Italy competed.

Coronet Peak head of race and events Robin Armstrong says today’s course in the Rocky Gully Arena was more suited to a larger cross section of the field than yesterday’s slalom where there was a high attrition rate.

“The conditions were excellent and there was some exciting and spectacular racing particularly amongst the top competitors who are world class skiers.”

Ligety won the first run in 43.17 while Naoki won the second in 42.12 but Ligety’s combined time of 1.25.39 was enough to beat Naoki who finished in 1.25.88. Third place went to Kilian Albrecht of Bulgaria in 1.26.47 who won the slalom title yesterday.

Twenty six men completed the race and the first New Zealander was eighteen-year-old Leighton Winsloe (Wanaka) of the Cardrona High Performance Centre who put in two solid runs to finish in 11th place in 1.31.84 after starting in bib 40. Sixteen-year-old Jamie Prebble (Christchurch) of the Volkswagen National Men’s team also skied to his points to finish 20th from a start position of 60th in the field.

Sixteen women completed the tough course and the competition was between top Japanese seeds Emiko Kiyosawa and Emi Hasegawa who battled for the title. Kiyosawa won in 1.46.23 with Hasegawa a close second in 1.46.47. Third place went to young American skier Dana Nott in 1.59.48.

New Zealand’s Alice Ralston 17 (Auckland) was fourth in 2.01.94. and Harriet Miller-Brown 16 (Queenstown) of the Volkswagen National Development Team placed sixth in 2.12.06.

Paper races were held to decide the winners of the Wigley Cup, the Coronet Cup and the Bruce Grant Memorial Cup. Only New Zealand athletes are eligible for the trophies.

Janelle Miller (Queenstown) and Andrew Wylie (Queenstown) won the Wigley Cup. The Coronet Cup was won by Janelle Miller and Rhys Grimmer (Queenstown) and the Bruce Grant Memorial Cup was won by Alice Ralston (Auckland) and Leighton Winsloe (Wanaka).

JENNY MCLEOD
SKI RACING NZ MEDIA
by Southern Alpine Recreation Ltd.

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