Goergl upsets Fenninger in Altenmarkt
The women’s return to a demanding Altenmarkt-Zauchensee downhill course was all about local lady Anna Fenninger. The Austrian was fastest in the lone training run, favorited by the fans and, after her blistering run on race day, expected to win — until Elisabeth Goergl, running 28th on a course that appeared to be speeding up for the later racers, found some magic.
“I had blast on the piste today and it’s just great it ends up with a victory,” said Goergl. “Last year was a tough one, it’s quite a relief to experience that feeling again.”
The 32-year-old Austrian had been written off by some, but certainly the prospect of qualifying for a third (and likely final) Olympic Winter Games on a competitive Austrian team lit a fire for the veteran on Saturday.
The course at Zauchensee, visited for the first time in three years, starts off notably fast, almost resembling a speed skiing hill, with racers reaching 70 mph within the first four seconds. The track makes its way into some wide-open, high-speed turns, with a couple of jumps and, on Saturday, at least one rut in the snow that gave some of the racers, including Fenninger, trouble. A third jump takes racers into “The Forest,” which consists of a series of sweeping turns — but speeds are still high, and it can be easy to get lost in the dark conditions. The course spits racers out onto the final pitch at fairly high speed, followed by one last jump into the finish.
Despite getting kicked forward and nearly crashing as a result of the aforementioned rut, Fenninger was able to one-up tour leader Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who ran 16th and looked smoother and more confident than just about everyone else, further suggesting the course got faster. The German ultimately finished third on the day and extended her lead in the overall standings. Tina Weirather, also competing for a crystal globe, finished fourth, while Austrian Nicole Hosp, starting outside the the top 30, was able to crack into the top 5.
For the North Americans, independent Canadian Larisa Yurkiw was the pleasant surprise of the day. Perhaps taking advantage of a later start, the downhiller was jubilant, skiing to a personal best of sixth-place, just her third career top 10.
“I’m super happy for Larisa,” said Marie-Michele Gagnon, who also produced a career-best downhill result in 29th. “I always knew she had it in her. Her injury (in 2009) was a huge setback but she fought through that and it’s so cool to see.”
Gagnon’s result created an additional downhill starting spot for Canada.
“That was the goal today, just to score some points and get (Canada) another spot in downhill,” head coach Hugues Ansermoz said. “Without skiing her best she was top 30 so anything is possible for her in the combined.”
For the Americans, Julia Mancuso, who spent part of the day in the hospital Friday tending her sister Sara who was injured while skiing, looked sharper than she had all season. Frankly, it was the first time she’s looked sharp this season. The team veteran took some scheduled time off recently, which may have recharged the batteries. Unaided by a later start position — she kicked out ninth — Mancuso finished 13th on the day for her best speed race of the winter. Just one other racer who started in the first 15, Regina Sterz, ultimately finished ahead of Mancuso.
“We’ve skied here a lot,” said Mancuso. “It’s definitely nice, but especially right now with how I’m feeling on my equipment, I would like more training runs. But racing is racing and the snow was forgiving. It was soft. It wasn’t too gnarly anywhere. It was fun.
“I finally have some really good splits,” added Mancuso. “I was one mistake away from being in the top ten and having a really good result, so it’s really positive. We have two more races that hopefully have good training runs that I can get feeling a lot better on my equipment and I’m definitely more positive. It was nice to go home and get a little time with my trainer and just kind of refocus and know that all the tools are there and it’s really now just about believing that I can ski well and go fast.”
Stacey Cook, Laurenne Ross and Leanne Smith all seemed to suffer from a similar affliction: not knowing the course terribly well. With only a single day of training and having not raced the hill in a few years, the Americans seemed a little lost, skiing a low line, which wasn’t particularly fast. They finished 22nd, 23rd and 25th respectively.
See more pictures from today’s race in our gallery.
The Scoop
By Hank McKee
Women’s World Cup downhill, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, Jan. 11, 2014
Equipment – Skier, skis/boots/bindings
3 Hoefl-Riesch, Head/Lange/Head
4 Weirather, Atomic/Tecnica/Atomic
5 Hosp, Fischer/Fischer/Fischer
6 Yurkiw, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Ruiz Castillo, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
8 Kaufmann-Abderhalden, Head/Nordica/Head
9 Sejersted, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
10 Sterz, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
Women’s World Cup downhill, Altenmarkt-Zauchensee, Austria, Jan. 11, 2014. …It is the 17th of 32 races on the women’s schedule. … The fifth of nine downhills. … It is the 26th World Cup race hosted by Altenmarkt/Zauchensee… the 11th downhill.
It is the fifth World Cup win for Elisabeth Goergl… the second in downhill, the other Jan. 7 2012 at Bad Kleinkirchheim, the most recent win prior to today. … It is the first Austrian DH win since Hannes Reichelt tied for first at Bormio Dec. 29, 2012. … The last Austrian woman other than Goergl to win a Cup DH was Renate Goetschl in 2007.
It is the 23d career World Cup podium for Anna Fenninger… her fourth in DH. … It is her sixth podium of the season and second in DH.
It is the 77th career World Cup podium placing for Maria Hoefl-Riesch… her 25th in DH. … It is her fifth podium of the season and third in DH.
It is a career best placing for Larisa Yurkiw, topping her previous best scored at Lake Louise Dec. 6 by one placing. … It is the second best placing of the season for Julia Mancuso, easily her best of the season in DH. … It is the sixth scoring result of the season for Stacey Cook. … The second of the season for Laurenne Ross… fifth of the season for Leanne Smith. … It is the first career downhill scoring result for Marie-Michele Gagnon.
Anna Fenninger takes the lead of the World Cup overall standings 677-671 over Maria Hoefl-Riesch. … Tina Weirather (fourth in race) sits third with 659pts. … Mikaela Shiffrin (did not race) is fifth overall with 514pts. … Marie Michele Gagnon is eighth with 327pts.
Hoefl-Riesch holds the downhill standings 325-291 over Maria Kaufmann-Abderhalden (eighth in race) with Weirather in third with 260pts. … Yurkiw leads Canada in 12th with 99pts. … Julia Mancuso is top U.S. racer in 22nd with 56pts.
Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup standings 2887-1677 over Switzerland. … Sweden is third with 1415pts. … U.S. is sixth with 919pts and Canada tenth with 576pts.
Results
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Total Time | Diff. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 28 | 55576 | GOERGL Elisabeth | 1981 | AUT | 1:47.45 | |
2 | 21 | 55947 | FENNINGER Anna | 1989 | AUT | 1:48.01 | +0.56 |
3 | 16 | 206001 | HOEFL-RIESCH Maria | 1984 | GER | 1:48.08 | +0.63 |
4 | 18 | 355050 | WEIRATHER Tina | 1989 | LIE | 1:48.36 | +0.91 |
5 | 31 | 55690 | HOSP Nicole | 1983 | AUT | 1:48.47 | +1.02 |
6 | 25 | 106849 | YURKIW Larisa | 1988 | CAN | 1:48.58 | +1.13 |
7 | 11 | 495318 | RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina | 1981 | SPA | 1:48.59 | +1.14 |
8 | 22 | 515782 | KAUFMANN-ABDERHALDEN Marianne | 1986 | SUI | 1:48.62 | +1.17 |
9 | 26 | 425880 | SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth | 1991 | NOR | 1:48.72 | +1.27 |
10 | 6 | 55766 | STERZ Regina | 1985 | AUT | 1:48.73 | +1.28 |
11 | 19 | 516138 | GUT Lara | 1991 | SUI | 1:48.79 | +1.34 |
12 | 17 | 565243 | MAZE Tina | 1983 | SLO | 1:48.82 | +1.37 |
13 | 9 | 537545 | MANCUSO Julia | 1984 | USA | 1:48.84 | +1.39 |
14 | 15 | 515747 | GISIN Dominique | 1985 | SUI | 1:48.91 | +1.46 |
15 | 10 | 55913 | MOSER Stefanie | 1988 | AUT | 1:49.09 | +1.64 |
16 | 5 | 505886 | KLING Kajsa | 1988 | SWE | 1:49.11 | +1.66 |
17 | 14 | 296008 | MERIGHETTI Daniela | 1981 | ITA | 1:49.17 | +1.72 |
18 | 2 | 55750 | FISCHBACHER Andrea | 1985 | AUT | 1:49.29 | +1.84 |
19 | 12 | 515806 | JNGLIN-KAMER Nadja | 1986 | SUI | 1:49.44 | +1.99 |
20 | 45 | 565320 | FERK Marusa | 1988 | SLO | 1:49.65 | +2.20 |
21 | 13 | 196460 | MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie | 1985 | FRA | 1:49.90 | +2.45 |
22 | 8 | 537582 | COOK Stacey | 1984 | USA | 1:49.92 | +2.47 |
23 | 30 | 538573 | ROSS Laurenne | 1988 | USA | 1:49.93 | +2.48 |
24 | 34 | 56125 | PUCHNER Mirjam | 1992 | AUT | 1:49.95 | +2.50 |
25 | 7 | 296431 | STUFFER Verena | 1984 | ITA | 1:50.06 | +2.61 |
25 | 3 | 538305 | SMITH Leanne | 1987 | USA | 1:50.06 | +2.61 |
27 | 24 | 515766 | SUTER Fabienne | 1985 | SUI | 1:50.08 | +2.63 |
28 | 39 | 297702 | MARSAGLIA Francesca | 1990 | ITA | 1:50.12 | +2.67 |
29 | 32 | 105269 | GAGNON Marie-Michele | 1989 | CAN | 1:50.17 | +2.72 |
30 | 38 | 155563 | KRIZOVA Klara | 1989 | CZE | 1:50.22 | +2.77 |
31 | 46 | 55970 | SCHMIDHOFER Nicole | 1989 | AUT | 1:50.26 | +2.81 |
32 | 47 | 206460 | WENIG Michaela | 1992 | GER | 1:50.32 | +2.87 |
33 | 43 | 516248 | FLURY Jasmine | 1993 | SUI | 1:50.40 | +2.95 |
34 | 53 | 538855 | FORD Julia | 1990 | USA | 1:50.56 | +3.11 |
35 | 40 | 197295 | PIOT Jennifer | 1992 | FRA | 1:50.58 | +3.13 |
36 | 41 | 297134 | BORSOTTI Camilla | 1988 | ITA | 1:50.60 | +3.15 |
37 | 23 | 296729 | FANCHINI Nadia | 1986 | ITA | 1:50.66 | +3.21 |
38 | 36 | 56088 | TIPPLER Tamara | 1991 | AUT | 1:50.67 | +3.22 |
39 | 49 | 539536 | WILES Jacqueline | 1992 | USA | 1:50.72 | +3.27 |
40 | 51 | 245066 | MIKLOS Edit | 1988 | HUN | 1:50.85 | +3.40 |
41 | 27 | 565360 | STUHEC Ilka | 1990 | SLO | 1:50.86 | +3.41 |
42 | 50 | 56087 | SIEBENHOFER Ramona | 1991 | AUT | 1:50.91 | +3.46 |
43 | 48 | 297910 | CURTONI Elena | 1991 | ITA | 1:50.93 | +3.48 |
43 | 1 | 296427 | SCHNARF Johanna | 1984 | ITA | 1:50.93 | +3.48 |
45 | 35 | 425929 | MOWINCKEL Ragnhild | 1992 | NOR | 1:51.21 | +3.76 |
46 | 37 | 516219 | NUFER Priska | 1992 | SUI | 1:51.46 | +4.01 |
47 | 44 | 297153 | CIPRIANI Enrica | 1988 | ITA | 1:51.93 | +4.48 |
48 | 54 | 196968 | BAILET Margot | 1990 | FRA | 1:52.03 | +4.58 |
49 | 56 | 197641 | GAUCHE Laura | 1995 | FRA | 1:52.36 | +4.91 |
50 | 57 | 375018 | COLETTI Alexandra | 1983 | MON | 1:52.80 | +5.35 |
51 | 59 | 705349 | GANTNEROVA Jana | 1989 | SVK | 1:53.22 | +5.77 |
52 | 58 | 35089 | SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena | 1984 | ARG | 1:55.03 | +7.58 |