ALPINE SKI WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHLADMING 2013. Germany’s Maria Hoefl-Riesch nailed gold in the super combined on 8th February by relegating Slovenia’s skiing ace Tina Maze and Austria’s Nicole Hosp to silver and bronze.

For the “Golden Girl”, double World Champion and double Olympic gold medallist who had not made it up two her expectations by only placing two podium spots this season, it was a complete relieve: “Das ist der Wahnsinn (“This is absolutely crazy!”), she told the German TV right after the race.

Super star Tina Maze was 0.46 seconds back while Hosp scored the first Austrian medal on home soil by finishing 1 minute behind the winner. The Austrian squad was showing an extremely strong performance by taking over positions three to six with Michaela Kirchgasser, Kathrin Zettel and Elisabeth Goergl following bronze girl Hosp. The 29-year-old who scored the fastest time in the slalom run had a huge smile on her face: “I am really happy after this many years of struggling. Thanks to all my fans who believed in me!”, she claimed.

Top favourite Maze clinched her second medal and 20th podium position this season. After gold in the super G, she did not quite make it to the top this time although the course was set by her coach.

In front of an enthusiastic crowd of 14,000 fans who were bathed in sunshine, the super combined was an action-packed and tight race. After the first round of downhill, two ladies, Maze and Austria’s Anna Fenninger shared the lead. But, Hoefl-Riesch who was already extremely strong in the downhill and only pushed back to fourth position because of a mistake in the last section finally came out victorious: "I would have never thought to beat Tina in this race. I have reached my goal to win a medal now!", she happily concluded.

FISalpine.com
Friday 8 February 2013