There's just something about Aspen that clicks for Sarka Zahrobska. The Czech defended her 2008 victory in Sunday's World Cup slalom, beating the first run field by more than a second, then winning the race outright.

Though the 24-year-old has several podiums and a world championship gold medal to her credit (in the Are slalom in 2007), Zahrobska has only won two World Cups ... both in Aspen.

"I really don't know why I'm so successful in Aspen, but I'm happy for that," she said. "To win the race you have to have many things [happen at] one moment."

Zahrobska was one of very few racers to discover this formula on Sunday. Others who found the right mix of factors included second place finisher Marlies Schild, who landed her first podium since coming back from a broken leg (sustained in giant slalom training in Soelden in 2008) and third-place fellow Austrian Kathrin Zettel, who also took second in Saturday's GS.

Schild said she had tears in her eyes thinking about the state she was in a year ago compared to now, when she is once again on the podium, just over half a second away from victory.

"I'm so happy about it," Schild said. "It was a very difficult course, the slope was difficult today. A lot of people [did] not finish but I tried not to think about it and just 'ski and have fun.'"

The course in Aspen was unforgiving for several competitors. About one third of the first-run starters - 24 racers altogether - either crashed or missed gates and those that finished agreed that the course was extremely icy and difficult to master.

"The first run course was much more turny and really icy," Zahrobska said. "The second run, I don't think it was much easier. But if you want to win you have to know how to ski on every [kind of] snow. I had good skis for this icy slope."

Canadian Anna Goodman had the best result of the day for North Americans, finishing 13th while her teammate, 19-year-old Erin Mielzynski, was 30th, starting with bib No. 60 in her first ever World Cup. They were the only two North Americans to finish the race.

"I think it pays to fight your way down," Goodman said after the first run. "Even if you feel horrible on some turns, as long as you keep going and keep fighting. I totally thought I was out of the game when I went through the finish. But as it turns out, even if you have big mistakes, or you think they're big, everyone has them. While you're going down, when you have those mistakes, you have to keep going. It's a mental game."

Sunday marked the first time since the Ofterschwang slalom in January 2008 that no Americans made it into the second run of a World Cup race.

Lindsey Vonn was thrown off the course in the first run and none of the other U.S. starters, Julia Mancuso, Hailey Duke, Sarah Schleper, Sterling Grant, Kaylin Richardson or Julia Ford were fast enough to make the top 30.

"I got caught on my inside ski and boot-locked; it shot me out  of the course," Vonn said after the first run. "This is a really tough hill. It's steep, it's constantly changing, twisting and turning. I came in well-prepared and positive, but sometimes things just don't go your way."

One of the more heartening stories of the day came from French racer Anne-Sophie Barthet. Wearing bib No. 58, Barthet finished sixth (after German sisters Susanne and Maria Riesch, who were fourth and fifth, respectively) for her best result ever, following up on Saturday's 11th place in the GS wearing bib No. 55. Aspen holds a special significance for the all-event racer, because it was here that Barthet broke her leg racing downhill in December 2007.

"Today is a personal victory and also a collective one," Barthet said after the race Sunday. "At first the surgeons said I wouldn't be able to ski again but now I'm here and it's really good revenge on this slope. I really wanted to make something here today and yesterday to prove that I don't fear this slope. It's mine."

Barthet celebrated her amazing finish with a Hannah Montana-inspired dance in the finish area.

Following Saturday's GS after which she was experiencing considerable back pain, Finnish tech specialist Tanja Poutiainen didn't compete on Sunday.

The FIS Audi women's World Cup continues Friday, Saturday and Sunday with two downhill races and a super G in Lake Louise, Alberta.

by Shauna Farnell

PHOTO: Sarka Zahrobska stands atop the Aspen GS podium flanked by Marlies Schild and Kathrin Zettel in second and third. (Alexandra Black)

The SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
Women's Slalom, Aspen, Colorado, Nov. 29, 2009
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Zahrobska, Head/Head/Head
2 Schild, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
5 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
6 Barthet, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Aubert, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
8 Geiger, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
8 Gius, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
10 Paerson, Head/Head/Head

Women's Slalom, Aspen, Colorado, Nov. 29, 2009. … It is the fourth of 32 races on the women's 2009-2010 World Cup schedule. … The second of seven scheduled slaloms and the second of two races scheduled at Aspen this season. … Blue bird sky day. … It is the 64th World Cup hosted at Aspen. … The 17th slalom and the 11th women's slalom. … Czech skier Sarka Zahrobska won last season's slalom at the site. Winning margin is .58 of a second. … Top three skiers are within the same second.

It is the second career World Cup win for Sarka Zahrobska, both of them coming in slalom at Aspen as she also won one year and one day previously. … She is the only skier from the Czech Republic to ever win a World Cup race although Olga Charvatova (2) and Jana Soltysova (1) both won races for Czechoslovakia.

It is the 45th career World Cup podium for Marlies Schild and her fourth at Aspen. … It is her best result of the season and best since March 14 2008 when she won a slalom at Bormio. … She missed all of last season to injury.

It is the 26th career World Cup podium for Kathrin Zettel. … Her tenth in slalom, though she has never won a Cup slalom. … She was also third in slalom at Aspen Dec. 9, 2007. … She has six Cup podiums at Aspen including two this season. … She has three podiums this season having also placed second at Soelden.

It is a career best placing, of 11 slalom scores, for Anna Goodman. … It was the first World Cup point for Erin Mielzynski.

Zettel takes control of the World Cup overall standings 220-176 over Maria Riesch (fifth in race). … Tanja Poutiainen (did not race) is third at 165. … Lindsey Vonn (first run DNF) leads North American skiers in ninth with 109pts.

No Americans made a second run.

Official Results: