FIS offers us an armistice of some days for the holidays of Christmas. But what the amateurs of ski feel reassured, December 25th being Wednesday as January 1st, we shall have even no weekend without race.
From Saturday Bormio and Semmering will welcome the last three races of year 2002: no rest for the warriors!
Thus, while the turkey plots in the vapor, while the cat takes down the balls of the christmas tree and between two "dad, he come at what time the Father Christmas?", I`m going to try to recapitulate the striking events of the Alpine skiing since Sцlden`s opening.
Christophe Saпoni and Ivica Kostelic duet
A message of peace between the peoples?
So year 2002 began about Salt Lake City`s Olympic Games and ends in the first third of the World cup 2003, a little more than a month before Saint Moritz's World Championships.
Unusual matter, the medal-holders of OWG confirm that they aren't day winners. Janica Kostelic, first of all, who holds the head of the general classification, as well as those of Slalom and Combinate. Not to leave shadow with the picture she is also 5th in Giant, 5th in Super-G and 7th in Downhill.
With a Cup of Slalom and Overall in 2001, there's there of what make definitively keep silent about the gossips which let listen that her exceptional results in the United States had something curious.
Carole Montillet, Olympic champion of Downhill, holds the head of Super-G and the Downhill. If we put aside its 16th place to Lenzerheide, where the snow had begun falling abundantly to her passage, she realizes practically only podia in speed disciplines.
Daniela Ceccarelli is little in retreat with the 6th position in the Super-G classification category the Olympic title of which she holds. We cannot speak all the same about disappointing performance with a podium and only 34 points of delay on Montillet.
At the men, we open the exercise book on an indisputable value: Stephan Eberharter. He confirms in force, no doubt there above: the first one in Overall and in Downhill, 5th in Super-G and 6th in giant.
For Fritz Strobl, the golden medal-holder of the Downhill, the result is a little more modest at this beginning of season: 6th in downhill, 12th in Overall, no podium.
Jean-Pierre Vidal, winner of the Slalom, is 5th in the classification of this discipline. As Strobl, he approaches the season with a little more flexibility. It's advisable to note that he is henceforth opened in Giant where his first results are completely encouraging.
To end this review, Kjetil-Andrй Aamodt, doubling titled to Salt Lake with Super-G and Alpine Combinate is the third in the general classification, 6th in Downhill, 4th in Super-G, and he has had no occasion yet to run a combinate. For Aamodt, no need of confirmation, he is a part integral of the "Stars" of the circuit since about 10 years!
Does this mean that things are established well in Alpine skiing? Not really. After the explosion in the spring of numerous national unions, we could see arriving this year a big number of young skiers whose results in Europa Cup or in Nor-Am were already convincing. And they're well and truly there.
Nicole Hosp (AUT), who offers herself a victory to Sцlden for her first appearance; Jessica Lindell-Vikarby (SWE), Winstar to Sцlden with the 7th place in the same conditions, then 4th of the Downhill to Lenzerheide; Nicole Gius (ITA) who flirts with the top 15 in slalom and giant; and many others as the Swiss young Tamara Mьller who don't content to begin with staying in the bottom of the basket.
With the men, places are more "expensive", but the phenomenon is the same: Martin Marinac (AUT) 14th to Sцlden in the middle of around thirty veterans, then 12th in Park City's slalom; Arnold Reider (ITA); Fill Peter (ITA); Tom Rothrock (USA); Marco Sullivan (USA); or also the Norwegian Aksel Lund Svindal.
Without counting those who find their marks this year, as Klauss Kroell (AUT) or Joel Chenal and Antoine Deneriaz (FRA). Then, there is the real great engagement of the Canadians.
What is also considerable with those young people, it's their ease of adaptation to a commitment on several disciplines. Some less young, or already hardened also venture on it this year - Anja Pдrson (SWE), Janica Kostelic (CRO)-. And that pays to the general classification.
2003 will be, not to doubt it, a fascinating season. We regret naturally the accidents for those who were victims and more particularly Isolde Kostner and Patrizia Bassis (ITA). Hilde Gerg, whom one announced retired after its fall to Lake Louise, made her return in Lenzerheide for the biggest reassurance of all.
Stephan Eberharter is for the rest forced for some weeks, but his wound is without gravity. Finally only Hermann Maier misses the meeting which he'd fixed us with too much optimism. We wish him to succeed in his attempt difficult and courageous to return to the competition.
Then, please, don't hesitate to stay with us to follow the White Circus in January. The spectacle should widely outstrip that of the return match Washington/Bagdad both in quality and in fair play. This last one opened by the death of a .. French journalist under the wheels of an American tank. G.W. Bush did'nt explain where was the good and it badly there!
The only thing we know is that sport is certainly of the good.
Merry Christmas !
Alpine Racing Presse > Franz Robert > December 24th, 2002
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