Gut sets the pace in Lenzerheide downhill training

It’s game on in Lenzerheide, Switzerland for final races of the season. As per etiquette, the week kicked off with the ladies downhill training on Monday.

Among the 24 qualified racers, Lara Gut set the fastest time of 1 minute, 35.49 seconds, leading the pack by nearly a full second. The only racer to finish within one second of Gut (+0.98) was Austrian Anna Fenninger, while her teammate Elisabeth Goergel finished third, 1.02 seconds back.

“It was really tough,” Goergl said of the course. “It’s so bumpy and I really didn’t have a great feeling coming down. I was also lucky because I had decent visibility but it’s getting darker and that makes it even more difficult to ski. I think also my setup was too aggressive for this snow and I had to keep adjusting my line. It’s a lesson learned for race day.”

Julia Mancuso was the top American in 13th position.

“It’s a really fun, difficult course. I got to see that today,” said Mancuso. “Hopefully the weather stays good so we can race it, but it’s looking good so far. It’s definitely a downhill for gutsy people. I wasn’t that gutsy today, but I know how to be. … You have to be on line and you have to go for it. It’s pretty steep and things come at at you fast.

“My goal definitely for the season is still to win a race, so I’m fight hard and see what I can do.”

Laurenne Ross was one of two DNFs Monday. The Garmisch podium finisher lost a ski and went into the nets, but is OK.

Despite missing the last couple races to injury, Lindsey Vonn still holds a one-point lead over Tina Maze in the downhill standings. Maria Hoefl-Riesch sits in third, 68 points out. See the complete standings here.

Results
Lenzerheide (SUI)
Training
Ladies’ Downhill