ALPINE SKI WORLD CUP. LENZERHEIDE, Switzerland – Olympic slalom gold medalist Giuliano Razzoli knows how to finish off a season. The Italian fought through thick fog and spring-like snow conditions Saturday to win the final World Cup slalom race of the 2011 season in Lenzerheide.

Razzoli finished in a two-run combined time of 1 minute, 25.72 seconds, edging Austria’s Mario Matt for the win by just 0.03 seconds. For his first slalom podium of the season, Germany’s Felix Neureuther took third, 0.25 seconds back.

Following his Olympic gold, Razzoli broke his wrist over the summer and decided to focus solely on slalom this season. Although he had consistent top 10 results on the European Cup circuit, it was a mixed bag on the World Cup with several DNFs, although he did finish just off the podium in fourth in Zagreb and then took third in the Kitzbuehel slalom.

The final race of the season was just his time to shine.

“I really wanted this win today,” Razzoli said after the race. “This victory today is fantastic for me because this season, a lot of race I [went] out, but now I’m here, the last race and I look to the future and to the next season. Thank you Lenzerheide. Grazie mille!”

Although he finished 18th and out of the points on Saturday, Ivica Kostelic, in addition to winning the 2011 World Cup overall title and super-combined globe, also claimed the slalom title with 478 points. France’s Jean-Baptiste Grange eliminated himself from contention for the globe in the first run on Saturday when he lost control at the top of the course and straddled a gate a bit further down, but ended up second in the standings with 442 points and Sweden’s Andre Myhrer was third in the slalom season with 423 points.

On a course set by his coaches, Matt, who won the previous two World Cup slaloms in Kranjska Gora and Bansko, put down the fastest first run time with Neureuther in hot pursuit, 0.19 seconds back and Razzoli with 0.72 seconds to make up.

The fog was so thick during the second run on Saturday that the jumbotron and scoreboard were not visible from the finish area.

FISalpine.com
Saturday 19 March 2011

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