Ofterschwang: Schild closes slalom gap
Marlies Schild sent a message Sunday that she intends to defend the World Cup slalom title she won last season. Schild claimed the seventh of 10 slaloms scheduled this season at Ofterschwang, Germany by a comfortable margin of 0.42 seconds, to close within five points of standings leader Nicole Hosp who finished third in the race. Swede Therese Borssen finished between the two in second.
The North Americans did not fare well in the race with only one skier, Canadian rookie Anna Goodman, earning a second run. On consecutive first runs Americans Lindsey Vonn and Julia Mancuso exited the course.
It was the fourth slalom win of the season for Schild, but she has also failed to finish twice and finished third.
MARLIES SCHILD sent a message Sunday that she intends to defend the World Cup slalom title she won last season. Schild claimed the seventh of 10 slaloms scheduled this season at Ofterschwang, Germany by a comfortable margin of 0.42 seconds, to close within five points of standings leader Nicole Hosp who finished third in the race. Swede Therese Borssen finished between the two in second.
Hosp increased her lead in the overall World Cup standings after American Lindsey Vonn crashed in the first run. Hosp has 899 points to Vonn's 773. ''It's important to always get these points because if you don't do it in one or two races, everything can be lost,'' Hosp said.
''Things really worked today," said Schild, who had a 1.12-second advantage over Borssen following the first run. "The first run was just about pefect. But I was satisfied with the second run.
''Obviously, it's always a question of attacking. You cannot just go safe. But things worked out OK.''
The North Americans did not fare well in the race with only one skier, Canadian rookie Anna Goodman, earning a second run. On consecutive first runs Americans Vonn and Julia Mancuso exited the course.
“I am very happy. I was focused on putting two solid runs today and was able to do that,” said Goodman, who was 27th after the opening run. “To have a career best result is a very good feeling and I just have to keep working on getting more aggressive and more comfortable every race.”
Mancuso lost her footing trying to take a gate in the upper half of the first run. Vonn, racing directly after Mancuso, also went out at almost exactly the same spot in the upper half of the course.
Vonn's mishap appeared to be more serious, though she was able to come down the Ofterschwang course by herself.
''Of course both are disappointed that they couldn't finish the race. But both of them are fine healthwise,'' said United States team press officer Doug Haney. ''Slalom is like that. You can be on and on and on and then, slam, you're gone. It's a race of millimeters.''
Schild went to third place in the overall standings with 751 points, ahead of Germany's Maria Riesch, who is fourth with 745 after finishing eighth.
Mancuso dropped to fifth in the overall standings with 703 points. Another American, Hailey Duke, did not start the race.
It was the fourth slalom win of the season for Schild, but she has also failed to finish twice and finished third.
Borssen's second-place was her first World Cup podium finish since winning the slalom at Semmering, Austria, in December 2006.
''I am really happy today. It feels good for my confidence. I was really going for it, I didn't want to finish off the podium again,'' Borssen said.
— The Associated Press and Alpine Canada contributed to this story
The SCOOP
By Hank McKee
Equipment
Women's slalom, Ofterschwang, Germany, Jan. 27, 2008
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Schild, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
2 Borssen, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
3 Hosp, Volkl/Fischer/Marker
4 Zuzulova, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Poutiainen, Volkl/Tecnica/Marker
6 Costazza, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
7 Zahrobska, Head/Head/Tyrolia
8 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
9 Gini, Head/Lange/Head
9 Bergmann, Head/Nordica/Tyrolia
Women's slalom, Ofterschwang, Germany, Jan. 27, 2008. … It is the 23rd race of the women's 38 event 2008 World Cup schedule. … It is the seventh of ten scheduled slaloms. … It is the ninth World Cup at Ofterschwang, the fourth slalom and the third women's slalom.
It is the 19th World Cup victory for Marlies Schild. … the 17th in slalom. … It is her fourth win of the season, all in slalom. … The defending slalom champion, she moves within five point of slalom standings leader Hosp. … It is her first win at Ofterschwang. … She was third in the slalom at the site Feb. 5, 2006.
It is the fifth career World Cup podium for Therese Borssen. … all in slalom. … She had won once before and been third three times, but this is the first she has finished second. … It is her first podium of the season, though she has been fourth twice, at Spindleruv Mlyn and at Aspen. … She is the fourth Swede to gain a podium this season along with Anja Paerson, Jens Byggmark and Jessica Lindell-Vikarby.
It is the 43rd career podium for Nicole Hosp. … Her 17th in slalom. … It is her seventh podium of the season and fifth in slalom.
It is the second career scoring result for Anna Goodman and a career best. … She was 2.28 second closer to the winning time than in her result at Lienz Dec. 29.
Winning margin is .42 of a second. … Top seven skiers are within a second. … Top 10 within two seconds. … Nicole Hosp maintains the lead in the World Cup overall standings 899-773 over Lindsey Vonn (1st run DNF). … Maria Riesch (8th in race) is third at 755 and Schild moves to fourth at 751. … Julia Mancuso (1st run DNF) is fifth at 703. … Hosp also leads the slalom standings but Schild closed the gap 465-460. … Veronika Zuzulova (4th in race) is third at 361 and Tanja Poutiainen (5th in race) is fourth at 352. … The top North American on the women's slalom list is still Resi Stiegler in 12th with 111pts. … Stiegler was injured Dec. 28 and has not raced since. … Austria leads the women's Nations Cup 4,228-1,958 over Italy with the U.S. in third at 1,796. … Canada is 7th with 957 pts.
Rank | Bib | FIS Code | Name | Year | Nation | Run 1 | Run 2 | Total Time | FIS Points |
1 | 2 | 55590 | SCHILD Marlies | 1981 | AUT | 48.39 | 52.46 | 1:40.85 | 0.00 |
2 | 3 | 505610 | BORSSEN Therese | 1984 | SWE | 49.51 | 51.76 | 1:41.27 | 2.54 |
3 | 4 | 55690 | HOSP Nicole | 1983 | AUT | 49.71 | 51.65 | 1:41.36 | 3.08 |
4 | 5 | 705287 | ZUZULOVA Veronika | 1984 | SVK | 49.25 | 52.14 | 1:41.39 | 3.27 |
5 | 6 | 185140 | POUTIAINEN Tanja | 1980 | FIN | 49.34 | 52.11 | 1:41.45 | 3.63 |
6 | 9 | 296354 | COSTAZZA Chiara | 1984 | ITA | 49.82 | 51.68 | 1:41.50 | 3.93 |
7 | 1 | 155415 | ZAHROBSKA Sarka | 1985 | CZE | 49.51 | 52.03 | 1:41.54 | 4.17 |
8 | 14 | 206001 | RIESCH Maria | 1984 | GER | 49.73 | 52.15 | 1:41.88 | 6.23 |
9 | 24 | 515619 | GINI Sandra | 1982 | SUI | 49.82 | 52.17 | 1:41.99 | 6.90 |
9 | 19 | 205636 | BERGMANN Monika | 1978 | GER | 50.29 | 51.70 | 1:41.99 | 6.90 |
11 | 15 | 505760 | PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria | 1986 | SWE | 50.66 | 52.22 | 1:42.88 | 12.28 |
12 | 13 | 55838 | ZETTEL Kathrin | 1986 | AUT | 50.26 | 52.64 | 1:42.90 | 12.40 |
13 | 11 | 425771 | LOESETH Nina | 1989 | NOR | 50.69 | 52.26 | 1:42.95 | 12.70 |
14 | 30 | 196016 | DAUTHERIVES Claire | 1982 | FRA | 50.73 | 52.29 | 1:43.02 | 13.13 |
15 | 22 | 205993 | HOELZL Kathrin | 1984 | GER | 51.01 | 52.17 | 1:43.18 | 14.09 |
16 | 25 | 195972 | AUBERT Sandrine | 1982 | FRA | 51.57 | 51.65 | 1:43.22 | 14.34 |
17 | 35 | 355040 | NIGG Marina | 1984 | LIE | 51.56 | 51.76 | 1:43.32 | 14.94 |
18 | 27 | 206035 | CHMELAR Fanny | 1985 | GER | 51.51 | 52.21 | 1:43.72 | 17.36 |
19 | 21 | 505679 | HANSDOTTER Frida | 1985 | SWE | 50.50 | 53.58 | 1:44.08 | 19.54 |
20 | 37 | 425432 | MUELLER Anne Marie | 1980 | NOR | 51.88 | 52.24 | 1:44.12 | 19.78 |
21 | 44 | 206078 | FERNSEBNER Carolin | 1986 | GER | 51.42 | 52.82 | 1:44.24 | 20.50 |
22 | 26 | 385027 | FLEISS Nika | 1984 | CRO | 51.82 | 52.56 | 1:44.38 | 21.35 |
23 | 36 | 565320 | FERK Marusa | 1988 | SLO | 51.45 | 52.94 | 1:44.39 | 21.41 |
24 | 38 | 106633 | GOODMAN Anna | 1986 | CAN | 51.68 | 52.73 | 1:44.41 | 21.53 |
25 | 47 | 155194 | KURFUERSTOVA Eva | 1977 | CZE | 51.90 | 53.00 | 1:44.90 | 24.50 |
26 | 20 | 295435 | GIUS Nicole | 1980 | ITA | 50.57 | 58.64 | 1:49.21 | 50.57 |
27 | 7 | 385032 | JELUSIC Ana | 1986 | CRO | 49.55 | 1:07.04 | 1:56.59 | 95.20 |
Official timekeeper |
Did not start 1st run : DUKE Hailey (USA)
Did not finish 1st run : KLING Kajsa (SWE), SIMARI BIRKNER Macarena (ARG), GIANESINI Giulia (ITA), LOLOVIC Jelena (SRB), STRENG Simone (AUT), DUERR Katharina (GER), VONN Lindsey (USA), MANCUSO Julia (USA), PAERSON Anja (SWE), KIRCHGASSER Michaela (AUT)
Did not finish 2nd run : RIESCH Susanne (GER), MOELGG Manuela (ITA)
Disqualified 2nd run : DE LEYMARIE Florine (FRA)
Did not qualify 1st run : SIMARI BIRKNER Maria Belen (ARG), BARIOZ Taina (FRA), WEIRATHER Tina (LIE), DERKSEN Geertje (NED), HANAOKA Moe (JPN), PERSYN Karen (BEL), CERESA Annalisa (ITA), FISCHBACHER Andrea (AUT), GASIENICA DANIEL Agnieszka (POL), LOESETH Lene (NOR), GRAND Rabea (SUI), SPRINGL Monika (GER), PERNER Nina (GER), HANGL Celina (SUI), GOERGL Elisabeth (AUT), KARASINSKA Katarzyna (POL), BONJOUR Aline (SUI), CAMASTRAL Aita (SUI)