Aspen: Hosp blows away field for slalom win
ASPEN, Colo. — Austria’s Nicole Hosp laid down a sizzling second run, surviving ever-diminishing light and a rutted-out course to win the World Cup women’s slalom event Sunday as the Aspen Winternational came to a close.
Hosp, second to Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen after the first run but only a miniscule 0.03 seconds back, attacked the Lower Ruthie’s Run Course in a brilliant display of tactical skiing. One of the few racers to not lose time on the difficult middle and lower sections of the course, Hosp clocked 48.47 seconds her second time down for a two-run total of 1:34.60. Poutiainen couldn’t match Hosp, finishing second but more than a second back in 1:35.79. Austria’s Kathrin Zettel, third after the opening run, held that position to finish on the podium in 1:35.94.
ASPEN, Colo. — Austria’s Nicole Hosp laid down a sizzling second run, surviving ever-diminishing light and a rutted-out course to win the World Cup women’s slalom event Sunday as the Aspen Winternational came to a close.
Hosp, second to Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen after the first run but only a miniscule 0.03 seconds back, attacked the Lower Ruthie’s Run Course in a brilliant display of tactical skiing. One of the few racers to not lose time on the difficult middle and lower sections of the course, Hosp clocked 48.47 seconds her second time down for a two-run total of 1:34.60. Poutiainen couldn’t match Hosp, finishing second but more than a second back in 1:35.79. Austria’s Kathrin Zettel, third after the opening run, held that position to finish on the podium in 1:35.94. It was Zettel’s third podium of her career in Aspen.
“I’m so happy I don’t know what to say,” said Zettel, who won a GS in Aspen last season. “Every time I have a good result here. I love coming back here.”
Poutiainen was looking for another win in Aspen after climbing the top step here three years ago. She now has five career podium finishes in Aspen. “I’m really happy to be on the podium,” she said. “I feel like I am at home. I like the course. It was a littler soft but I had a good day.”
Resi Stiegler, frustrated after her first run, skied aggressively on the top her second time down and moved up from 10th to eighth place, finishing in 1:37.07. Stiegler and Hosp, in fact, tied for the third-fastest second interval time in the second run.
“I’ve been having issues at the bottom so I was like, ‘OK I need to faster on top,’” Stiegler said. “I don’t know what’s wrong with me, I keep losing a second on the bottom.”
Stiegler led by 1.22 seconds at the first split during her run, then faltered and lost all that and more by the end. She joked after the race that maybe she needs to do some more squats in the gym to finish races more strongly.
Teammate Julia Mancuso finished 19th, and Lindsay Vonn and Kaylin Richardson both struggled shortly out of the gate to finish well off the pace. Vonn caught an inside edge and was thrown off-balance, and Richardson was forced to hike afer missing a gate.
The run of the day was turned in by Swede Frida Hansdotter, who started sixth the second time down and held the lead for 19 racers before she was knocked off the hot seat by Slovakian veteran Veronika Zuzulova. Hansdotter ended up seventh to lead a Swedish team that saw veterans Anja Paerson, Maria Pietilae-Holmner and Jessica Lindell-Vikarby not finish the first run.
Outside of Hosp’s dominance, another big story was Hosp’s teammate Marlies Schild crashing early in her second run. Winner of the first two slaloms run this season, Schild was eyeing three straight and sat seventh after the opening run. Despite her DNF, Schild maintains her lead in the World Cup overall standings, 343 to 326 over Hosp. Hosp does now lead the slalom standings by 25 points over Schild.
THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Women's Slalom, Aspen, Colo., Dec. 9, 2007
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
2 Poutiainen, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
3 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4 Borssen, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
5 Zahrobska, Head/Head/Tyrolia
6 Zuzulova, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Hansdotter, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
8 Stiegler, Dynastar/Lange/Look
9 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
10 Karbon, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
Women's Slalom, Aspen, Colo., Dec. 9, 2007. … It is the eighth race of the women's 39 event 2007-08 World Cup season. … It is the third of 10 slaloms on the women's schedule. … It is the 60th World Cup event hosted at Aspen. … the 15th slalom. … The ninth women's slalom. … The last three winners (Marlies Schild 2006, Anja Paerson 2005 and Tanja Poutainen 2004) were all entered in the race. … Race was held under bright, sunny skies with temps in the high-20's.
It is the 10th career World Cup win for Nicole Hosp. … Her third in slalom. … It is her first win of the season, the last coming in GS at Lenzerheide in last season's World Cup finals March 18. … Her last slalom win was the day before that, March 17, 2007. … Austrian women have won all three slaloms held this season, Marlies Schild winning twice and Hosp once. … She had finished fourth at Aspen three times (two in slalom and once in GS) and finished second in slalom at Aspen Nov. 26, 2006.
It is the 24th career World Cup podium for Tanja Poutiainen. … Her 13th in slalom. … It is her first podium of the season, having been fourth twice, once in GS at Soelden Oct. 27 and in slalom at Panorama Nov. 25. … Poutiainen has five World Cup podiums at Aspen, winning in slalom Nov. 25, 2005.
It is the 14th career podium for Kathrin Zettel. … Her seventh in slalom. … She has never won a World Cup slalom, but has been second twice previously (Jan. 5, 2006 at Zagreb and Feb. 5, 2005 at Ofterschwang. … Zettel has claimed four podium results at Aspen, including a GS win Nov. 25, 2006. … She was third in slalom at Aspen Dec. 11, 2005.
Second-run winner Frida Hansdotter claimed her best of three total World Cup scoring results, finishing seventh.
Resi Stiegler matched her seventh best career World Cup finish. … She has been fourth three times and never better. … Julia Mancuso, in 19th, matched her 14th best World Cup slalom result matching her slalom finish ar Aspen from Dec. 11, 2005. … She was 10th in the Aspen slalom Nov. 27, 2004.
Neither Lindsey Vonn in 27th nor Kaylin Richardson in 28th received points as they were too far back of the winner.
Marlies Schild (2nd run DNF) retains the lead in the overall standings 343-326 over Nicole Hosp. … Denise Karbon (10th in race) is third at 235. … Tanja Poutiainen is fourth at 223. … Julia Mancuso is the top American in the overall standings in seventh at 192. … Hosp overtakes S
child in the slalom standings 225-200. … Poutiainen is third at 162 and Sarka Zahrobska fourth at 161. … Resi Stiegler leads North Americans in sixth with 111pts. … Winning margin is 1.19seconds. … Top five are within two seconds.
World Cup women's slalom
| Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | FIS Points |
| 1 | 6 | 55690 | HOSP Nicole | 1983 | AUT | 46.13 | 48.47 | 1:34.60 | 0.00 |
| 2 | 2 | 185140 | POUTIAINEN Tanja | 1980 | FIN | 46.10 | 49.69 | 1:35.79 | 7.67 |
| 3 | 8 | 55838 | ZETTEL Kathrin | 1986 | AUT | 46.20 | 49.74 | 1:35.94 | 8.64 |
| 4 | 7 | 505610 | BORSSEN Therese | 1984 | SWE | 46.43 | 49.93 | 1:36.36 | 11.35 |
| 5 | 3 | 155415 | ZAHROBSKA Sarka | 1985 | CZE | 46.64 | 49.88 | 1:36.52 | 12.38 |
| 6 | 1 | 705287 | ZUZULOVA Veronika | 1984 | SVK | 46.61 | 50.23 | 1:36.84 | 14.44 |
| 7 | 28 | 505679 | HANSDOTTER Frida | 1985 | SWE | 48.74 | 48.12 | 1:36.86 | 14.57 |
| 8 | 9 | 537772 | STIEGLER Resi | 1985 | USA | 47.35 | 49.72 | 1:37.07 | 15.93 |
| 9 | 16 | 206001 | RIESCH Maria | 1984 | GER | 47.62 | 49.59 | 1:37.21 | 16.83 |
| 10 | 45 | 295445 | KARBON Denise | 1980 | ITA | 48.68 | 48.76 | 1:37.44 | 18.31 |
| 11 | 24 | 205993 | HOELZL Kathrin | 1984 | GER | 47.99 | 49.58 | 1:37.57 | 19.15 |
| 12 | 4 | 385032 | JELUSIC Ana | 1986 | CRO | 47.30 | 50.29 | 1:37.59 | 19.28 |
| 13 | 32 | 516005 | HANGL Celina | 1989 | SUI | 49.09 | 48.70 | 1:37.79 | 20.57 |
| 14 | 29 | 206035 | CHMELAR Fanny | 1985 | GER | 48.42 | 49.72 | 1:38.14 | 22.83 |
| 15 | 41 | 55885 | STRENG Simone | 1987 | AUT | 48.69 | 49.51 | 1:38.20 | 23.21 |
| 16 | 26 | 195972 | AUBERT Sandrine | 1982 | FRA | 47.89 | 50.37 | 1:38.26 | 23.60 |
| 17 | 10 | 195912 | DE LEYMARIE Florine | 1981 | FRA | 47.94 | 50.44 | 1:38.38 | 24.37 |
| 18 | 43 | 565268 | DREV Ana | 1985 | SLO | 48.57 | 49.86 | 1:38.43 | 24.70 |
| 19 | 17 | 537545 | MANCUSO Julia | 1984 | USA | 49.01 | 49.43 | 1:38.44 | 24.76 |
| 20 | 44 | 155194 | KURFUERSTOVA Eva | 1977 | CZE | 48.87 | 49.59 | 1:38.46 | 24.89 |
| 20 | 39 | 515639 | CAMASTRAL Aita | 1983 | SUI | 48.70 | 49.76 | 1:38.46 | 24.89 |
| 20 | 20 | 385027 | FLEISS Nika | 1984 | CRO | 48.44 | 50.02 | 1:38.46 | 24.89 |
| 23 | 15 | 425771 | LOESETH Nina | 1989 | NOR | 48.27 | 50.45 | 1:38.72 | 26.57 |
| 24 | 21 | 435142 | KARASINSKA Katarzyna | 1982 | POL | 49.06 | &nbs p;49.87 |
1:38.93 | 27.92 |
| 25 | 33 | 196016 | DAUTHERIVES Claire | 1982 | FRA | 47.90 | 51.22 | 1:39.12 | 29.15 |
| 26 | 22 | 185271 | LEINONEN Sanni | 1989 | FIN | 48.77 | 50.36 | 1:39.13 | 29.21 |
| 27 | 18 | 537544 | VONN Lindsey | 1984 | USA | 48.41 | 54.90 | 1:43.31 | 56.16 |
| 28 | 25 | 537626 | RICHARDSON Kaylin | 1984 | USA | 48.31 | 1:08.58 | 1:56.89 | 143.73 |
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Did not finish 1st run: LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica (SWE), ALFIERI Camilla (ITA), GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka (POL), MUELLER Anne Marie (NOR), RIESCH Susanne (GER), BONJOUR Aline (SUI), CERESA Annalisa (ITA), MOELGG Manuela (ITA), PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria (SWE), PAERSON Anja (SWE), COSTAZZA Chiara (ITA)
Did not finish 2nd run: GIUS Nicole (ITA), SCHILD Marlies (AUT)
Did not qualify 1st run: NOVOSELIC Sofija (CRO), MERIGHETTI Daniela (ITA), LOLOVIC Jelena (SRB), NIGG Marina (LIE), GRAND Rabea (SUI), KOBAL Ana (SLO), GOODMAN Anna (CAN), LOESETH Lene (NOR), DUKE Hailey (USA), PERNER Nina (GER), ZIKOVA Lucie (CZE), HULTDIN Kristina (SWE), TRIENDL Katrin (AUT), GINI Sandra (SUI)
About the Author: Pete Rugh
