Kathrin Hoelzl was the woman to beat all day at the World Cup giant slalom event in Aspen, but nobody could get passed her. The German world GS champion won the first run and then the race with a two-run combined time of 2 minutes, 9.63 seconds, on a course that many racers classify as the most difficult on the women's GS circuit.

"It was very very icy, but my material was perfect," Hoelzl said. "I had very strong edges and that was the right thing today. You have to fight on every gate. That's what I like."

Though she is the reigning world GS champ, Saturday's race marked Hoelzl's inaugural World Cup victory and she said it was a dream come true.

"I feel great today," she said. "In the morning when I woke up I was ready to race today and to win."

Despite their best intentions, the U.S. Team didn't fair as well as it would have liked in front of its home crowd.

 Julia Mancuso was the top American, finishing 13th in 2:12.79, while Sarah Schleper was 23rd (2:13.75). Megan McJames made the second run cut but missed a gate at the top of the course and Lindsey Vonn hit a rock in the first run and was slowed significantly to miss the second run cut while Stacey Cook and Leanne Smith also finished too late in the first run to make the top 30 flip.

"I'm just looking forward to tomorrow," Vonn said. "I've hit rocks in training but it's the first time it's ever happened to me in a race. It's unfortunate it happened in Aspen but you just got to take what you get. Hopefully tomorrow is a better day."

As Vonn made her way through the media area after the first run, a large group of children screamed her name and Vonn later joined them to talk and sign autographs.

"These guys are out here cheering for me and they don't care if I come in last place," she said. "They're still cheering for me. That definitey makes me happy."

Mancuso said she could have been more aggressive in the second run but was pleased to be back in the top 15.

 "The second run could have been better, but I made it to the finish and I'm feeling pretty good," Mancuso said. "It was much better than Soelden and it's a good place to start. I'm psyched."

Schleper was pleased with the top of her second run but reeled it in too much from the middle coming into the finish.

"I think I went too round," she said. "I was arcing everything. In that way I improved, but I think I was still too conservative. The middle section is so technical and demanding. The terrain is so undulating, it's the iciest part of the course. If you're not charging and super-confident, it's really easy to lose time."

 Austrian Kathrin Zettel, who won the Aspen GS in 2006, was second Saturday, .24 seconds behind Hoelzl and Italian Federica Brignone was 1.13 seconds back in third for her first ever World Cup podium.

"I'm really excited about the result," said Brignone, who is the daughter of famed former Italian tech specialist Maria Rosa Quario. "I didn't expect a race like this. The slope is really good. It was really icy. I had a big mistake on last part of the first run, but the second run ... it was perfect."

Zettel, who also finished second earlier this season in Soelden and missed the Levi slalom due to illness, said Aspen is a special place for her.

"I like Aspen very much," Zettel said. "You have to fight on this course and work very hard, but I really like it here."

For a few moments during the second run it looked as if Italians were going to rule the day. Brignone's teammates Manuela Moelgg, Nicole Gius and Denise Karbon each had a few seconds in the leader's box and all ended up in the top 10, finishing seventh, eighth and ninth, respectively.

The women's World Cup continues Sunday with slalom in Aspen. Watch the race live on universalsports.com.

The SCOOP

Women's Giant Slalom, Aspen, Colorado, USA, Nov. 28, 2009. … It is the third of 32 races on the women's 2009-2010 World Cup schedule, the second of seven scheduled giant slaloms. … It is the 63rd World Cup hosted at Aspen. … The 17th GS. … the 11th women's GS. … French skier Tessa Worley won last season's GS. … It is the first of two Cup races scheduled at Aspen with a slalom to follow.

It is the first career World Cup win for Kathrin Hoelzl, her previous best a second at Lenzerheide in GS March 18, 2007. … She was also third in GS at Maribor last season (Jan. 10). … Her previous best result at Aspen was sixth also in GS in Nov of 2007.

It is the 25th career World Cup podium for Kathrin Zettel, her 13th in GS. … She won the Aspen GS Nov. 25, 2006, was second in 2009 and third in 2005. … She also has two podiums at Aspen in slalom, both third places finishes in 2005 and 2007.

It is just the second World Cup scoring result ever for Federica Brignone and her first podium. … Her other result was 21st in GS at Soelden earlier this season (Oct. 24). … She is just 19 years old.

Julia Mancuso matches her 80th best career mark in 13th. … Sarah Schleper her 78th best in 23rd. … It is Schleper's best result since Aspen a year ago when she finished 13th. … It is the career first World Cup scoring result for Marie Pier Prefontaine.

Tanja Poutiainen (26th in race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 165-160 over Zettel. … Hoelzl is third at 136. … Lindsey Vonn (did not qualify) is the top American in sixth with 109.

by Shauna Farnell and Hank McKee
SkiRacing.com
28/11/2009

Equipment

Women's Giant Slalom, Aspen, Nov. 28, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Hoelzl, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
2 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Brigone, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
4 Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Brem, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
6 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Rossignol
7 Moelgg, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
8 Gius, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
9 Karbon, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
10 Rebensburg, Nordica/Nordica/Marker

Official results:

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  2  205993 HOELZL Kathrin  1984  GER   1:03.70  1:05.93  2:09.63  0.00
 2  5  55838 ZETTEL Kathrin  1986  AUT   1:04.10  1:05.77  2:09.87  1.63
 3  34  297601 BRIGNONE Federica  1990  ITA   1:05.12  1:05.64  2:10.76  7.67
 4  1  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria  1986  SWE   1:04.25  1:06.93  2:11.18  10.52
 5  24  55898 BREM Eva-Maria  1988  AUT   1:04.30  1:07.46  2:11.76  14.46
 6  6  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:04.91  1:06.95  2:11.86  15.14
 7  8  296259 MOELGG Manuela  1983  ITA   1:06.09  1:05.78  2:11.87  15.21
 8  20  295435 GIUS Nicole  1980  ITA   1:05.67  1:06.26  2:11.93  15.61
 9  7  295445 KARBON Denise  1980  ITA   1:05.66  1:06.30  2:11.96  15.82
 10  11  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria  1989  GER   1:05.84  1:06.49  2:12.33  18.33
 11  55  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie  1988  FRA   1:05.35  1:06.99  2:12.34  18.40
 12  23  196851 BERTRAND Olivia  1989  FRA   1:05.11  1:07.52  2:12.63  20.37
 13  18  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:05.51  1:07.28  2:12.79  21.45
 14  16  206001 RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   1:05.79  1:07.12  2:12.91  22.27
 15  12  196928 WORLEY Tessa  1989  FRA   1:05.11  1:07.94  2:13.05  23.22
 16  48  196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone  1988  FRA   1:06.37  1:06.70  2:13.07  23.35
 17  21  196179 BERTRAND Marion  1984  FRA   1:05.75  1:07.35  2:13.10  23.56
 18  28  296379 GIANESINI Giulia  1984  ITA   1:06.66  1:06.55  2:13.21  24.30
 19  43  505886 KLING Kajsa  1988  SWE   1:06.74  1:06.51  2:13.25  24.57
 20  40  435210 GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka  1987  POL   1:06.87  1:06.66  2:13.53  26.48
 21  13  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela  1985  AUT   1:06.63  1:06.99  2:13.62  27.09
 22  10  505483 PAERSON Anja  1981  SWE   1:06.16  1:07.51  2:13.67  27.43
 23  35  536481 SCHLEPER Sarah  1979  USA   1:06.58  1:07.17  2:13.75  27.97
 24  36  296509 CURTONI Irene  1985  ITA   1:05.78  1:08.17  2:13.95  29.33
 25  44  106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier  1988  CAN   1:07.21  1:07.41  2:14.62  33.87
 26  4  185140 POUTIAINEN Tanja  1980  FIN   1:06.05  1:08.75  2:14.80  35.10
 27  38  425629 LOESETH Lene  1986  NOR   1:07.06  1:07.76  2:14.82  35.23
Disqualified 1st run
   15  196725 BARIOZ Taina  1988  FRA         
   14  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT         
Did not start 1st run
   45  296354 COSTAZZA Chiara  1984  ITA         
Did not qualify 1st run
   69  415128 JARVIS Sarah  1986  NZE         
   67  155586 KMOCHOVA Tereza  1990  CZE         
   66  385027 FLEISS Nika  1984  CRO         
   65  435189 KLUS Aleksandra  1986  POL         
   63  185271 LEINONEN Sanni  1989  FIN         
   61  305944 KIYOSAWA Emiko  1983  JPN         
   58  565320 FERK Marusa  1988  SLO         
   57  315149 LOLOVIC Jelena  1981  SRB         
   56  537582 COOK Stacey  1984  USA         
   54  106022 JANYK Britt  1980  CAN         
   51  515692 GRAND Rabea  1984  SUI         
   49  425887 LOESETH Mona  1991  NOR         
   46  565268 DREV Ana  1985  SLO         
   42  515849 DETTLING Andrea  1987  SUI         
   41  538305 SMITH Leanne  1987  USA         
   39  355050 WEIRATHER Tina  1989  LIE         
   37  55766 MADER Regina  1985  AUT         
   29  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele  1989  CAN         
   26  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica  1984  SWE         
   22  195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid  1978  FRA         
   17  515766 SUTER Fabienne  1985  SUI         
   9  537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA         
   3  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT         
Did not finish 2nd run
   32  296729 FANCHINI Nadia  1986  ITA         
   30  538284 MCJAMES Megan  1987  USA         
   25  225206 ALCOTT Chemmy  1982  GBR         
Did not finish 1st run
   68  35079 SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen  1982  ARG         
   64  385034 FERK Matea  1987  CRO         
   62  55885 STRENG Simone  1987  AUT         
   60  425771 LOESETH Nina  1989  NOR         
   59  515997 FEIERABEND Denise  1989  SUI         
   53  505610 BORSSEN Therese  1984  SWE         
   52  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida  1985  SWE         
   50  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT         
   47  106666 RUBENS Shona  1986  CAN         
   33  55952 HACKL Karin  1989  AUT         
   31  155415 ZAHROBSKA Sarka  1985  CZE         
   27  515733 BONJOUR Aline  1985  SUI         
   19  55818 KOEHLE Stefanie  1986  AUT