Marlies Schild edges Kristina Koznick for World Cup win in Santa Caterina, Italy

Marlies Schild edges Kristina Koznick for World Cup win in Santa Caterina, ItalyKristina Koznick of the United States couldn’t hold off a recently-unbeatable Marlies Schild of Austria, who took the victory in Sunday’s World Cup slalom at Santa Caterina, Italy. Koznick finished 0.15 seconds back.

“I won the first run, which was a goal of mine,” said Koznick, reached by cell phone as she was packing her bags to leave for Austria. “But I made a few mistakes on the top of the second run, and that’ll be 15 hundredths, I guess.”

Koznick said she loves the slope in Santa Caterina, which will host world championships in just 21 days. “It’s mild in a way, nothing too steep,” said the Minnesota native. “But there are so many rolls, and sidehills. It’s fun. I think I’d have fun on that hill no matter what kind of course is set on it.”

Two weeks ago, Koznick caught her chin on a gate near the finish of the Saint Moritz giant slalom. She cracked ribs and bit her tongue hard enough to need two stitches. “I’ve been on the bottom of the roller coaster for a few weeks now, so it feels good to be up again,” said Koznick, who is training independently of the U.S. team this year. “I was third at Aspen in the slalom, and that felt great, but I was a full second and a half out of first. I want to be best in the world, so that wasn’t very satisfying.”

The rest of Koznick’s words will be posted tomorrow at this site, including her plan during the next week while the women’s World Cup goes into speed mode at Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. (Another Minnesotan, Lindsey Kildow, is expected to do well there, wearing the red bib that goes with leading the downhill World Cup standings.)

Click here for more on the race.

World Cup

Women’s Slalom
Santa Caterina, Italy
Jan. 9, 2005
1. Marlies Schild, AUT 1:29.96
2. Kristina Koznick, USA 1:30.11
3. Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer, GER 1:30.20
4. Veronika Zuzulova, SVK 1:31.07
5. Annemarie Gerg, GER 1:31.15
6. Tanja Poutiainen, FIN 1:31.19
7. Elisabeth Goergl, AUT 1:31.20
8. Sarka Zahrobska, CZE 1:31.27
9. Nicole Hosp, AUT 1:31.28
10. Christel Pascal, FRA 1:31.35
10. Sarah Schleper, USA 1:31.35
12. Sonja Nef, SUI 1:31.37
13. Karin Truppe, AUT 1:31.38
13. Laure Pequegnot, FRA 1:31.38
15. Therese Borsson, SWE 1:31.68
16. Nika Fleiss, CRO 1:31.71
17. Resi Stiegler, USA 1:31.75
17. Line Viken, NOR 1:31.75
19. Kathrin Zettel, AUT 1:31.82
20. Henna Raita, FIN 1:31.88
21. Martina Ertl, GER 1:31.93
22. Ana Jelusic, CRO 1:31.94
23. Nicole Gius, ITA 1:31.98
24. Britt Janyk, CAN 1:32.01
25. Florine DeLeymarie, FRA 1:32.25
26. Tina Maze, SLO 1:32.36
27. Katarzyna Karasinska, POL 1:32.27
28. Manuela Moelgg, ITA 1:32.89
other North Americans:
DNQ 2nd: Brigitte Acton, CAN; Kaylin Richardson, Lindsey Kildow, Julia Mancuso, Lauren Ross, Caroline Lalive, Jessica Kelley, USA.

THE SCOOP

equipment
Women’s Slalom, Santa Caterina, Jan. 9, 2005 Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Schild, Atomic/Lange/Atomic
2 Koznick, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
3 Bergmann-Schmuderer, Head/Rexxam/Marker
4 Zuzulova, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Gerg, Head/Lange/Marker
6 Poutiainen, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
7 Goergl, Blizzard/Lange/Marker
8 Zahrobska, Head/Head/Tyrolia
9 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
10 Pascal, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
10 Schleper, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

Women’s Slalom, Santa Caterina, Italy, Jan.9, 2005. … It is the 17th race of the women’s 32 (plus one combined) World Cup schedule. … It is the fifth eight scheduled slaloms. … It is a race moved from Berchtesgaden, Germany by lack of snow. … Top three finishers are within two tenths… fourth a second out.

It is the fourth career win for Marlies Schild. … Her third of the season. … Her second consecutive slalom win… Schild has won two, Tanja Poutiainen two and Janica Kostelic one of the five slaloms held. … It is the 12th Austrian win of the season (by 8 different competitors). … Schild, Tanja Poutiainen and Bode Miller are the only competitors with at least three wins this season.

It is the 19th career podium for Kristina Koznick. … It is her second of the season (with 3rd Aspen SL 11/28). … She was the first run leader. … Of her 7 scoring results this season five are top 10.

It is the sixth career podium for Monika Bergmann-Schmuderer with no wins. … She had finished four of the five slaloms in the top eight. … She is the fifth German to podium this season.

It is the fourth top 10 of the season for Sarah Schleper. … 31st of her career. … The U.S. women have had at least two skiers in the top 10 in four of the five slaloms held this season. … It is the fourth time Resi Stiegler has recorded a top 10 finish this season. … It is the second scoring result of the season for Britt Janyk.

Veronika Zuzulova in fourth scores Slovakia’s (and her) second best result ever.

Tanja Poutiainen (finished sixth) maintains the women’s overall standings lead with 706 pts. … Janica Kostelic (1st run DNF) is second at 613 and Anja Paerson (2nd run DNF) is third at 579. … Lindsey Kildow is the top American in seventh with 435 pts. … Poutiainen holds the slalom lead 360-280 for Marlies Schild… Kostelic is third at 240 and Koznick fourth at 230. … Austria leads the Nations Cup 6673-3363 for the U.S. … Austrian women lead 2748-1702 for the U.S. … The German women are third at 1349.