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Schnarf takes top time in wind hampered first Sochi downhill training run, Vonn second

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It wasn’t your typical downhill training run, but it’s not your typical location for a World Cup women’s event either.

For the first time ever, the women of the World Cup were in Russia today (Feb. 15) getting a taste of the 2014 Olympic downhill course, though you could hardly call today’s training run a real taste.

Due to high winds on the Rosa Khutor course, all but the first three racers were flagged to slow down at the two major jumps (Tunnel and Solitary). They were allowed to reach top speeds between jumps.

Italian Johanna Schnarf recorded the fastest time of the day (1:49.78), though she, like many racers, missed at least one of the gates. American and overall World Cup leader Lindsey Vonn was just a hundredth of a second behind Schnarf, followed by Norway’s Lotte Smiseth Sejersted another four hundredths adrift in the No. 2 bib.

After the first three finishers, the next fastest racer was nearly two seconds (1.80) slower in this inspection-like training run.

“I like it. The snow was a little soft and it was definitely windy today but the first impression was good,” said Vonn. “I like the trail. The middle section is a lot of fun with a lot of bumps and rolls in there. I didn’t ski it that well but it was fine for the first training run. It was good to get a run on the Olympic track under my belt.”

Vonn said tricky turns lead to most racers missing at least one gate along the 1.7-mile, brand new course. She also admitted to ignoring the flags and maintaining speed throughout the course.

“I think Alice [McKennis] and I are the only people that made all the gates, pretty much everyone is not making them. It’s kind of hard to find your timing on a couple of the turns because you come in with some high speeds and it’s kind of an abrupt 90-degree turn in some places.”

McKennis, the third racer down the track, finished 13th, her nearest teammates was Stacey Cook in 33rd.

There are two more downhill training runs scheduled for Thursday and Friday with the downhill race planed for Saturday, Feb. 18. A super combined is slated for Sunday. 

Image:  The turns below "Launch Pad," the first jump on the women's downhill in Rosa Khutor (Doug Haney/U.S. Ski Team)

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time
 1  1  296427 SCHNARF Johanna  1984  ITA   1:49.78
 2  15  537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA   1:49.79
 3  2  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth  1991  NOR   1:49.83
 4  52  206367 HRONEK Veronique  1991  GER   1:51.63
 5  10  196460 MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie  1985  FRA   1:51.87
 6  25  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria  1989  GER   1:52.29
 6  17  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT   1:52.29
 8  48  55690 HOSP Nicole  1983  AUT   1:52.61
 9  42  196812 PELLISSIER Marion  1988  FRA   1:52.82
 10  35  505886 KLING Kajsa  1988  SWE   1:52.94
 11  49  297910 CURTONI Elena  1991  ITA   1:53.00
 12  44  55766 MADER Regina  1985  AUT   1:53.27
 13  3  538685 MCKENNIS Alice  1989  USA   1:53.31
 14  16  296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela  1981  ITA   1:53.34
 15  13  55947 FENNINGER Anna  1989  AUT   1:53.46
 16  14  206001 HOEFL-RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   1:53.52
 17  40  515997 FEIERABEND Denise  1989  SUI   1:53.63
 18  46  515560 SCHILD Martina  1981  SUI   1:53.65
 19  19  355050 WEIRATHER Tina  1989  LIE   1:53.83
 20  50  197006 GAUTHIER Marine  1990  FRA   1:53.91
 21  57  245066 MIKLOS Edit  1988  HUN   1:53.98
 22  22  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT   1:54.29
 23  37  55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole  1989  AUT   1:54.40
 24  23  296472 FANCHINI Elena  1985  ITA   1:54.41
 25  11  296431 STUFFER Verena  1984  ITA   1:54.45
 26  47  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca  1990  ITA   1:54.50
 27  34  55913 MOSER Stefanie  1988  AUT   1:54.55
 28  45  55806 ALTACHER Margret  1986  AUT   1:54.61
 29  8  505483 PAERSON Anja  1981  SWE   1:54.78
 30  29  565320 FERK Marusa  1988  SLO   1:54.81
 31  43  516319 SUTER Corinne  1994  SUI   1:54.87
 32  55  506399 HECTOR Sara  1992  SWE   1:54.88
 33  60  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele  1989  CAN   1:55.03
 33  12  537582 COOK Stacey  1984  USA   1:55.03
 35  28  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina  1981  SPA   1:55.19
 36  27  196573 REVILLET Aurelie  1986  FRA   1:55.23
 37  4  295533 RECCHIA Lucia  1980  ITA   1:55.27
 38  38  196968 BAILET Margot  1990  FRA   1:55.33
 39  51  375018 COLETTI Alexandra  1983  MON   1:55.44
 40  61  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild  1992  NOR   1:55.48
 41  41  297134 BORSOTTI Camilla  1988  ITA   1:55.50
 42  6  565360 STUHEC Ilka  1990  SLO   1:55.57
 43  24  515806 KAMER Nadja  1986  SUI   1:55.58
 44  5  538573 ROSS Laurenne  1988  USA   1:55.62
 45  67  206355 DUERR Lena  1991  GER   1:55.94
 46  53  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica  1984  SWE   1:55.95
 47  7  195983 ROLLAND Marion  1982  FRA   1:56.15
 48  20  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:56.30
 49  26  515573 AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi  1981  SUI   1:56.51
 50  68  485749 PROKOPYEVA Aleksandra  1994  RUS   1:56.56
 51  32  196928 WORLEY Tessa  1989  FRA   1:56.67
 52  33  106402 VANDERBEEK Kelly  1983  CAN   1:56.72
 53  66  485631 YAKOVISHINA Elena  1992  RUS   1:56.80
 54  69  106961 MIELZYNSKI Erin  1990  CAN   1:56.82
 55  30  55978 VOGLREITER Mariella  1989  AUT   1:57.18
 56  18  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:57.20
 57  21  516138 GUT Lara  1991  SUI   1:57.75
 58  62  485570 SOROKINA Anna  1990  RUS   1:57.77
 59  56  485665 KEDRINA Anastasia  1992  RUS   1:57.84
 60  58  297601 BRIGNONE Federica  1990  ITA   1:58.08
 61  59  485563 PROSTEVA Elena  1990  RUS   1:59.64
 62  9  538305 SMITH Leanne  1987  USA   2:00.14
 63  63  485632 BEDAREVA Maria  1992  RUS   2:00.20
 64  65  35079 SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen  1982  ARG   2:00.82
 65  36  106849 YURKIW Larisa  1988  CAN   2:00.86
 66  39  516280 HOLDENER Wendy  1993  SUI   2:00.87
 67  54  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie  1988  FRA   2:01.45
Did not start 1st run
   64  506341 WIKSTROEM Emelie  1992  SWE   
Did not finish 1st run
   31  55838 ZETTEL Kathrin  1986  AUT