Read the Digital MagazineInnerhofer succeeds again on Garmisch downhill track
The last five times Christof Innerhofer has raced the Kandahar 2 track at Garmisch he has placed no worse than fourth. It was here in 2011's World Championships he first earned the moniker “Winnerhofer,” with a gold in super G, bronze in downhill and silver in combined. Saturday (Feb 23) he added his sixth career World Cup win by stopping a string of three Austrians that claimed the next top spots.
Georg Streitberger nearly overtook the Italian from the 30th start, finishing second, just .12 back while Klaus Kroell was third .16 behind Innerhofer. Hannes Reichelt was fourth .36 back.
Aksel Lund Svindal took an aggressive, risky line that brought him fifth place, but also moved him back into the lead of the World Cup downhill standings by ten points over Innerhofer teammate Dominik Paris, the eighth place finisher.
Marco Sulliivan led all North Americans with another risky run that had him up on the fence along side course. He placed 19th, his fifth best result of the season, and perhaps some of his finest skiing.
“Luck was with the hundredths of a second on my side today,” said Innerhofer. “I most feel good when I come here. I just get good memories. I give 120percent because I know I can be fast.”
Streitberger thanked his serviceman for good ski preparation which played a major role, particularly on the upper reaches of the track. “In the middle section I fought. It was already difficult, but I have no grave mistakes and that was important.”
The Garmich organizers had been tested severely by snowy weather which cause cancellation of an early training run and provided shortened tests on the other two. An extra Saturday morning running was held. The course was left relatively soft and definitely bumpy.
Kroell said after a disappointing fourth in the World Championships on his home course he was refocusing on the World Cup standings. “I still want to have good races and then (it will be) despite the injury in preparation, a good season.”
It was an exceptionally close race with the top 15 all within a second.
Gepa photo
The SCOOP
by Hank McKee
Men's World Cup Downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 23, 2013
Equipment
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Innerhofer, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
2 Streitberger, Head/Head/Head
3 Kroell, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
4 Reichelt, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
5 Svindal, Head/Head/Head
6 Heel, Head/Head/Head
7 Sporn, Elan//Elan
8 Paris, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
9 Ferstl, Nordica/Nordica/Marker
10 J Kroell, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
Men's World Cup Downhill, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, Feb. 23, 2013. ... It is the 54th race of the 2013 World Cup season, the 31st for men and the seventh of nine scheduled downhills for men. ... It is the 94th Cup race held at least in part at Garmisch. ... the 38th downhill.
It is the sixth career World Cup win for Christof Innerhofer and third of the season, all in downhill having also won Beaver Creek and Wengen. ... It is his first World Cup win at Garmisch.
It is the fifth career World Cup podium for Georg Streitberger and his first in downhill, the previous four all coming in super G. ... It is his first podium of the seson his previous best a sixth in downhill at Beaver Creek.
It is the 21stcareer World Cup podium placing for Klaus Kroell. ... his third of the season. ... It is his second Cup podium at Garmisch and first since 2006.
It is the 41st top 20 Cup result for Marco Sullivan, his fifth of the season. ... It is the 130th Cup scoring result for Erik Guay. ... His tenth best finish of 12 this season. ... It is the 69th career Cup score for Manuel Osborne-Paradis. ... His tenth of the season. ... It is the second career Cup score for Conrad Pridy, both scored at Garmisch-Partenkirchen.
Marcel Hirscher (did not race) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 1135-966 over Aksel Lund Svindal (fifth in race). ... Felix Neureuther (did not race) is third overall with 776pts. ... Ted Ligety (did not race) is top American in fourth with 736pts. ... Guay is top Canadian in 15th with 373pts. ... Svindal regains the lead of the downhill standings 359-349 over Dominik Paris (eighth in race). ... Innerhofer is third with 344pts. ... Guay is sixth with 262 and Sullivan is the top American in 13th with 126pts. ... Austria bumps its Men's Nations Cup lead to 4612-3147 over Italy. ... France is third with 2456pts. ... The US is sixth at 1304 and Canada eighth at 768.
Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER)
FIS World Cup
Men's Downhill
Feb 23, 2013
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 20 | 293006 | INNERHOFER Christof | 1984 | ITA | 1:37.83 | 0.00 |
| 2 | 30 | 50858 | STREITBERGER Georg | 1981 | AUT | 1:37.95 | 1.68 |
| 3 | 22 | 50753 | KROELL Klaus | 1980 | AUT | 1:37.99 | 2.24 |
| 4 | 19 | 50742 | REICHELT Hannes | 1980 | AUT | 1:38.19 | 5.04 |
| 5 | 21 | 421328 | SVINDAL Aksel Lund | 1982 | NOR | 1:38.30 | 6.58 |
| 6 | 26 | 292514 | HEEL Werner | 1982 | ITA | 1:38.32 | 6.86 |
| 7 | 2 | 560447 | SPORN Andrej | 1981 | SLO | 1:38.33 | 7.00 |
| 8 | 16 | 291459 | PARIS Dominik | 1989 | ITA | 1:38.49 | 9.24 |
| 9 | 39 | 202059 | FERSTL Josef | 1988 | GER | 1:38.53 | 9.80 |
| 10 | 35 | 53981 | KROELL Johannes | 1991 | AUT | 1:38.67 | 11.76 |
| 11 | 29 | 53902 | MAYER Matthias | 1990 | AUT | 1:38.68 | 11.90 |
| 12 | 15 | 53817 | FRANZ Max | 1989 | AUT | 1:38.75 | 12.88 |
| 13 | 50 | 194167 | MUZATON Maxence | 1990 | FRA | 1:38.76 | 13.02 |
| 14 | 18 | 192746 | THEAUX Adrien | 1984 | FRA | 1:38.79 | 13.44 |
| 15 | 14 | 51327 | PUCHNER Joachim | 1987 | AUT | 1:38.81 | 13.72 |
| 16 | 36 | 293141 | VARETTONI Silvano | 1984 | ITA | 1:38.90 | 14.98 |
| 17 | 34 | 53968 | BERTHOLD Frederic | 1991 | AUT | 1:38.91 | 15.12 |
| 18 | 43 | 54005 | STRIEDINGER Otmar | 1991 | AUT | 1:38.94 | 15.54 |
| 19 | 27 | 533131 | SULLIVAN Marco | 1980 | USA | 1:38.95 | 15.68 |
| 19 | 25 | 561067 | PERKO Rok | 1985 | SLO | 1:38.95 | 15.68 |
| 21 | 7 | 180570 | ROMAR Andreas | 1989 | FIN | 1:38.99 | 16.24 |
| 22 | 17 | 102263 | GUAY Erik | 1981 | CAN | 1:39.03 | 16.80 |
| 22 | 8 | 511139 | KUENG Patrick | 1984 | SUI | 1:39.03 | 16.80 |
| 24 | 42 | 294277 | KLOTZ Siegmar | 1987 | ITA | 1:39.08 | 17.50 |
| 25 | 28 | 102899 | OSBORNE-PARADIS Manuel | 1984 | CAN | 1:39.09 | 17.64 |
| 25 | 12 | 51215 | BAUMANN Romed | 1986 | AUT | 1:39.09 | 17.64 |
| 27 | 31 | 380260 | KOSTELIC Ivica | 1979 | CRO | 1:39.19 | 19.05 |
| 28 | 41 | 103385 | PRIDY Conrad | 1988 | CAN | 1:39.32 | 20.87 |
| 29 | 5 | 510890 | ZURBRIGGEN Silvan | 1981 | SUI | 1:39.33 | 21.01 |
| 30 | 4 | 511313 | JANKA Carlo | 1986 | SUI | 1:39.34 | 21.15 |
| 31 | 49 | 294904 | PANGRAZZI Paolo | 1988 | ITA | 1:39.39 | 21.85 |
| 31 | 10 | 292455 | FILL Peter | 1982 | ITA | 1:39.39 | 21.85 |
| 33 | 3 | 530874 | GANONG Travis | 1988 | USA | 1:39.47 | 22.97 |
| 34 | 24 | 103271 | THOMSEN Benjamin | 1987 | CAN | 1:39.51 | 23.53 |
| 35 | 47 | 293550 | MARSAGLIA Matteo | 1985 | ITA | 1:39.56 | 24.23 |
| 36 | 33 | 102873 | KUCERA John | 1984 | CAN | 1:39.69 | 26.05 |
| 37 | 9 | 510727 | DEFAGO Didier | 1977 | SUI | 1:39.71 | 26.33 |
| 38 | 38 | 201606 | KEPPLER Stephan | 1983 | GER | 1:39.87 | 28.57 |
| 39 | 11 | 102271 | HUDEC Jan | 1981 | CAN | 1:39.89 | 28.85 |
| 40 | 56 | 561217 | KOSI Klemen | 1991 | SLO | 1:39.93 | 29.41 |
| 41 | 6 | 51332 | SCHEIBER Florian | 1987 | AUT | 1:39.95 | 29.69 |
| 42 | 1 | 533866 | NYMAN Steven | 1982 | USA | 1:39.97 | 29.97 |
| 43 | 52 | 400281 | VAN HEEK Marvin | 1991 | NED | 1:40.01 | 30.53 |
| 44 | 51 | 561216 | KLINE Bostjan | 1991 | SLO | 1:40.13 | 32.21 |
| 45 | 40 | 103612 | PRIDY Morgan | 1990 | CAN | 1:40.17 | 32.77 |
| 46 | 32 | 191591 | BERTRAND Yannick | 1980 | FRA | 1:40.25 | 33.89 |
| 47 | 37 | 511529 | GISIN Marc | 1988 | SUI | 1:40.26 | 34.03 |
| 48 | 44 | 501439 | HEDIN Douglas | 1990 | SWE | 1:40.29 | 34.45 |
| 49 | 13 | 191964 | POISSON David | 1982 | FRA | 1:40.32 | 34.87 |
| 50 | 54 | 202290 | ACKERMANN Marvin | 1991 | GER | 1:40.33 | 35.01 |
| 51 | 48 | 511634 | SPESCHA Christian | 1989 | SUI | 1:40.37 | 35.57 |
| 52 | 45 | 193034 | BOUILLOT Alexandre | 1985 | FRA | 1:40.53 | 37.81 |
| 53 | 60 | 194298 | GIEZENDANNER Blaise | 1991 | FRA | 1:40.57 | 38.37 |
| 54 | 55 | 511352 | VILETTA Sandro | 1986 | SUI | 1:40.58 | 38.51 |
| 55 | 53 | 202125 | ZEPNIK Philipp | 1988 | GER | 1:40.76 | 41.03 |
| 56 | 62 | 530939 | WEIBRECHT Andrew | 1986 | USA | 1:40.91 | 43.13 |
| 57 | 59 | 934518 | DANIELS Nick | 1991 | USA | 1:41.14 | 46.35 |
| 58 | 65 | 660021 | DANILOCHKIN Yuri | 1991 | BLR | 1:41.42 | 50.27 |
| 59 | 61 | 202196 | BRANDNER Klaus | 1990 | GER | 1:41.90 | 57.00 |
| 60 | 57 | 501230 | ERICSSON Daniel | 1987 | SWE | 1:42.16 | 60.64 |
| 61 | 64 | 194368 | RAFFORT Nicolas | 1991 | FRA | 1:42.74 | 68.76 |
| 62 | 63 | 20267 | ESTEVE Kevin | 1989 | AND | 1:42.84 | 70.16 |
| Did not finish 1st run | |||||||
| 58 | 491151 | DE LA CUESTA Paul | 1988 | SPA | |||
| 46 | 930024 | MAPLE Wiley | 1990 | USA | |||
| 23 | 194190 | ROGER Brice | 1990 | FRA | |||
