Lake Louise: Kildow wins again in Lake Louise downhill No. 2

By Published On: December 3rd, 2005Comments Off on Lake Louise: Kildow wins again in Lake Louise downhill No. 2

Lake Louise: Kildow wins again in Lake Louise downhill No. 2LAKE LOUISE, Alberta – American Lindsey Kildow overcame swirling winds to notch her second career World Cup win here at Lake Louise.

Kildow scored her first career win here last season and followed it up with a fifth in the second race. This time around she was fifth in the first race, which set the stage for her win in the second downhill. In bitter cold temperatures, Kildow was close in the split times at the top intervals but surged into the lead after nailing the critical midsection of the course and then held that speed across the rolling flats to the finish. Her time of 1 minnute, 49.51 seconds just nipped Swiss skier Sylviane Berthod by .03 seconds and pushed Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria into third.

Following up her impressive performance in the first downhill (10th), American Stacey Cook charged from the 51st start position to finish in eighth Saturday.

The winds started gusting after the first 10 racers, raising havoc with their times. Julia Mancuso was posting competitive splits but then caught a blast which immediately dropped her out of contention and into 22nd position.

Kirsten Clark ran early and in relatively calm conditions and continued to make headway in her comeback from a freak infection in her knee this past fall, finishing 21st.

Jonna Mendes caught an edge at the top of the course and rocketed into the safety netting, but was well enough to slide down to the finish sometime later. Always quick with a quip, Mendes joked, ‘If you are going to go out, you might as well go big.”

Kildow’s victory at Lake Louise a year ago was the start of a breakout season, where she finished among the top three seven times.

The winner of Friday’s World Cup downhill on the same Lake Louise course, Elena Fanchini of Italy, was seventh Saturday.

An Arctic front continued to bring frigid weather to the region – it was minus-12 degrees Celsius (9 Fahrenheit) at the finish line.

Kildow has been dubbed America’s next Picabo Street for her combination of skill, attitude and charm. She recently ended contact with her father, Alan, who had nurtured and oversaw her career. She said this week the two are not speaking.

Dorfmeister, who is retiring after this season, earned her sixth top-three finish at Lake Louise. She is the defending champion in the super-G at Lake Louise.

Women’s downhill results
Lake Louise, Alberta
Dec. 3, 2005

1. Lindsey Kildow, USA 1:49.51
2. Sylvaine Berthod, SUI 1:49.54
3. Michaela Dorfmeister, AUT 1:49.63
4. Alexandra Meissnitzer, AUT 1:49.69
5. Renate Goetschl, AUT 1:49.71
6. Brigitte Obermoser, AUT 1:50.01
7. Elena Fanchini, ITA 1:50.02
8. Stacey Cook, USA 1:50.13
9. Maria Riesch, GER 1:50.28
10. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, SUI 1:51.31
10. Karin Blaser, AUT 1:50.31
12. Elisabeth Goergl, AUT 1:50.37
13. Ingrid Rumpfhuber, AUT 1:50.42
14. Catherine Borghi, SUI 1:50.43
15. Nadia Fanchini, ITA 1:50.45
15. Isabelle Huber, GER 1:50.45
17. Janette Hargin, SWE 1:50.46
18. Nadia Styger, SUI 1:50.47
19. Kelly Vanderbeek, CAN 1:50.50
20. Daniela Ceccarelli, ITA 1:50.55
21. Andrea Fischbacher, AUT 1:50.67
22. Kirsten Clark, USA 1:50.68
23. Julia Mancuso, USA 1:50.74
24. Katja Wirth, AUT 1:50.89
25. Tina Maze, SLO 1:50.99
26. Alexandra Coletti, ITA 1:51.24
27. Ingrid Jacquemod, FRA 1:51.28
28. Kanica Kostelic, UZB 1:51.34
29. Carole Montillet-Carles, FRA 1:51.41
30. Nike Bent, SWE 1:51.44
Other North Americans:
39. Emily Brydon, CAN 1:52.17
41. Allison Forsyth, CAN 1:52.36
42. Sherry Lawrence, CAN 1:52.41
46. Shona Rubens, CAN 1:52.79
48. Libby Ludlow, USA 1:52.96
48. Caroline Lalive, USA 1:52.98
DNF: Jonna Mendes, USA

THE SCOOP
By Hank McKee

Equipment
Women’s DH, Lake Louise Dec. 3, 2005

Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1. Kildow, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
2. Berthod, Dynastar/Lange/Look
3. Dorfmeister, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
4. Meissnitzer, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
5. Goetschl, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
6. Obermoser, Blizzard/Tecnica/Marker
7. Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look
8. Cook, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
9. Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
10. Aufdenblatten, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
10. Blaser, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol

Women’s downhill, Lake Louise, Alberta, Dec. 3, 2005. … It is the third race of the women’s 34 race, 2 combined World Cup schedule. … The second of eight scheduled DH’s. … The second of three women’s races scheduled at Lake Louise. … The second of back-to-back DH’s.

It is the second career win for Lindsey Kildow, both in DH and both at Lake Louise. … And both on Dec. 3. … … She was fifth in the first DH the previous day. … It is the 154th U.S. World Cup win. … She joins Diann Roffe, Billy Kidd, Tyler Palmer and Kyle Rasmussen as Americans with two wins on the all-time list. … Winning margin is .03 of a second.

It is the sixth career podium for Sylvaine Berthod. … Her fifth in DH. … Her second in DH at Lake Louise (was 2nd on Nov. 30, 2001).

It is the 54th career podium for Michaela Dorfmeister. … Her second of the season as she was second on the same hill Dec. 2.

It is the second career World Cup scoring result for Stacey Cook. … Both of them top 10 finishes in back-to-back DH’s. … She started 51st, the lone nonstop seed skier to make the top 10. … It is the 15th career scoring finish for Kelly Vanderbeek. … It is the 108th scoring result for Kirsten Clark. … Her first points of the season. … It is the 57th career scoring result for Julia Mancuso. … She has scored in all three races held to date.

Michaela Dorfmeister takes the lead in the World Cup overall standings 149-145 for Lindsey Kildow. … Elena Fanchini is third at 136. … Kildow leads the DH standings 145-140 over Dorfmeister with Fancini third at 136.

First 19 skiers are within a second of the winner. … Entire top 30 within 2 seconds. … The Austrian women lead the Nations Cup standings 661-294 over the United States. … The Swiss are 4th at 245.

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About the Author: Pete Rugh