ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. ASPEN, Colo. – Maria Pietilae-Holmner, so often in the top 10 on the World Cup, finally got her day of being No. 1 … and it lasted all day at the slalom race in Aspen on Sunday.

Maria Pietilae-Holmner of Sweden competes in the first run of the Slalom during the Audi FIS World Cup Aspen Winternational in Aspen, Colorado. Pietilae-Holmner won the women's alpine World Cup slalom here Sunday, ahead of Germany's Maria Riesch and Finland's Tanja Poutiainen. (AFP/Getty Images/Matthew Stockman)

The 24-year-old Swede was the fastest down the tricky first run course, leading the field by just hundredths of a second. Then, after one racer after the next put down an incredible second run, Pietilae-Holmner – the last racer down the course – blasted down more than a second ahead at one point, then crossed the finish line 0.68 seconds ahead of second-place finisher Maria Riesch and 0.93 ahead of third-place Tanja Poutiainen.

Germany's Maria Riesch skis the first run of the Women's World Cup slalom ski race in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Tanja Poutiainen, of Finland, skis around a gate in the first run of the Women's World Cup slalom ski race in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

“Yeah it’s been my day,” Pietilae-Holmner said right after the race. “But the feeling in the second run was not so good, so I was so surprised to see No. 1 again. It’s unbelievable. I’m so happy. This is the best day.”

Sweden's Maria Pietilae-Holmner skis the second run of the somen's World Cup slalom on her way to winning the event in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

After Saturday’s drum-tight giant slalom race in Aspen, Sunday’s slalom began in similarly exciting fashion, with Marlies Schild – one of the big favorites – kicking out of the gate first and straddling the first gate. Seven other racers straddled gates or couldn’t crank their skis through combinations in the first run and Pietilae-Holmner led Austria’s Nicole Hosp by 0.09 seconds and Slovenia’s Tina Maze by 0.14 seconds going into the second.

The second run, set by Germany’s Christian Schwaiger, proved more manageable to the field, and one racer after another threw down what looked like flawless skiing. In her first ever World Cup, Canada’s Eve Routhier stood in the leader’s box for a handful of racers before being replaced for a time by teammate Marie-Michele Gagnon.

After Susanne Riesch – one of the other favorites – straddled a gate in a midway flush – the Swedish surge hit another high point.

Frida Hansdotter threw down a run that led the field by more than a second until her teammate Therese Borssen cranked the pace up a notch more and took over the top spot. Lindsey Vonn, leading for most of the second run, couldn’t top Borssen’s run when she crossed the finish line, nor could reigning Aspen slalom champ Sarka Zahrobska.

Czech Republic's Sarka Zahrobska slams past a gate in the first run of the Women's World Cup slalom ski race in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

The next racers, however, cranked the pace up yet another notch, beginning with France’s Nastasia Noens. When Olympic slalom gold medalist Maria Riesch (seventh after the first run) came down, the race cranked to a new level, as she crossed the finish line more than a half a second ahead of anyone. Poutiainen crossed the line still a quarter of a second behind, and it looked as if Riesch might notch yet another slalom victory.

Though she might not have felt fast, Pietilae-Holmner took to the second run course like a rocket, the green leader box flashing at every split time on her way down. She crossed the finish line and was mobbed by her teammates, all laughing and piling on top of their compatriot.

Slovakia’s Veronika Zuzulova, in her best performance in more than two years, ended up fourth (“it’s the worst place to finish,” she said), just 0.08 behind Poutiainen, while Hosp continued her comeback-from-injury surge in fifth place, Noens in sixth, Borssen in seventh, Vonn eighth, Hansdotter ninth and Maze 10th.

Lindsey Vonn, of the United States, slams a gate in the first run of the women's World Cup slalom ski race in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

Slovenia's Tina Maze slams past a gate in the first run of the Women's World Cup slalom ski race in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

Other inspiring stories of the day included those of Canada’s Anna Goodman and American Resi Stiegler. Both slalom specialists are coming back from injury.

Stiegler, who, after four whopping injuries hasn’t had a full race season since 2007, had barely spent any time skiing gates before starting in Sunday’s race and managed to finish 25th.

“I didn’t expect to make second run today,” Stiegler said. “The first run was a lot turnier, then the Germans set a lot of combos on the second run. I could have probably given it a little more. But I just wanted to put two solid runs down and I did that, so I’m excited.”

Goodman competed in the Olympic slalom, but gingerly after tearing ligaments in her knee last season in Zagreb. She finished 23rd in Aspen on Sunday.

“It’s race by race,” she said of her comeback. “I hope at some point I’ll be back where I was.”

Austria's Marlies Schild hooks the first gate out of the starthouse on the first run of the Women's World Cup slalom ski race in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. Schild did not finish. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow)

Team-wise, the Germans came out on top Sunday with five racers earning points. After Riesch, Fanny Chmelar finished 11th, followed by giant slalom world champion Kathrin Hoelzl 13th, Katharina Duerr 20th and Barbara Wirth 27th.

by Shauna Farnell
FISalpine.com
Sunday 28 November 2010

Sweden's Maria Pietilae-Holmner, center, winner of the women's World Cup slalom ski race, is flanked by second-place finisher Maria Riesch, left, of Germany, and third-place Tanja Poutiainen, right, of Finland, on the podium in Aspen, Colo., on Sunday, Nov. 28, 2010. (AP Photo/Alessandro Trovati)

  Tweet