St Anton: Vonn wins combined, Mancuso third

Lindsey Vonn claimed her second win in two days Saturday Dec. 22 in a World Cup super combined at St. Anton, Austria. German Maria Riesch took second place 0.63 of a second back while Julia Mancuso earned third, getting her second podium placing in two days.
    Held in near ideal conditions, the race features a run of downhill and a single run of slalom. Vonn had destroyed the downhill field and put up a 1.48-second margin with Mancuso and Austrian World Cup standings leader Nicole Hosp tied in second. But Hosp and slalom star Marlies Schild were among the 10 women who did not complete the slalom leg. Swedish champion Anja Paerson and six others failed to finish the difficult downhill leg.
    Vonn said her own downhill run had been an improvement on the race she won Friday. "My race was better than yesterday's as I had far less errors," she said. "But I still need a very good slalom race to finish on the podium."
    Her slalom run was good enough.

LINDSEY VONN claimed her second win in two days Saturday Dec. 22 in a World Cup super combined at St. Anton, Austria. German Maria Riesch took second place 0.63 of a second back while Julia Mancuso earned third, also her second podium placing in two days.
    Held in near ideal conditions, the race features a run of downhill and a single run of slalom. Vonn had destroyed the downhill field and put up a 1.48-second margin with Mancuso and Austrian World Cup standings leader Nicole Hosp tied in second. But Hosp and slalom star Marlies Schild were among the 10 women who did not complete the slalom leg. Swedish champion Anja Paerson and six others failed to finish the difficult downhill leg.
    Vonn said her own downhill run had been an improvement on the race she won Friday. "My race was better than yesterday's as I had far less errors," she said. "But I still need a very good slalom race to finish on the podium."
    When Hosp and Schild went out in front of her on the slalom leg, Vonn changed her approach.
    "I knew what I had to do after being informed of the problems of the top Austrians and I didn’t take too many risks on my way down the slope," said Vonn. "I’m so happy because I was hoping to win a Super-combined one day, and I’m really pleased to share that podium with my good friend Maria who is really skiing well this winter."
    Vonn will celebrate Christmas in Germany with Maria Riesch and her family.
    Vonn said work last fall in the technical disciplines paid off at St Anton. "I feel quite comfortable in the technical events this season. I trained slalom and giant slalom last fall and my hard work is paying off,” she said.
    In the slalom, Riesch, an excellent slalom skier a few years ago before suffering two serious knee injuries in 2004 and 2005, turned out to be Vonn's toughest rival. The Bavarian from Garmisch-Partenkirchen clocked the fastest slalom run and gained two positions in the rankings.
    "It’s a good surprise," she said. "I guess I was lucky that so many top-skiers went out this afternoon,” she said. "It is a very good result for me and it’s fun to be on the podium again, next to Lindsey who really did a great job in the slalom. I saw that she was having a solid and controlled run. She deserves that victory after her outstanding downhill race this morning. I’m now looking forward for a nice week at home with her.”
     Schild and Hosp were far enough back after the downhill they felt a full-out slalom attack was the only hope. Both Austrians lost control on the icy course and missed a gate. It was the first time in her World Cup career Schild had failed to finish a super combined having made the podium in her last four starts.
    In the downhill leg, Paerson misjudged a curve and missed the next gate halfway down the course. "I gave everything but my knee was painful yesterday so I felt a bit anxious going into today's race," Paerson said.
    With all those leaders out, Vonn took control of the World Cup overall standings.
    "It’s fun to be leading the overall standings now, but the season is still long. I like to be one of the main players but Nicole Hosp is a remarkable skier in all specialties and she will surely get back at the top after the coming weeks full of technical events. I’ll do my best and if it comes, it comes, if not that's okay, too." said Vonn.   
    It marked the first time since Tamara McKinney in 1984 that a U.S. woman had won World Cup races on consecutive days.
    The next women’s competitions will take place next week at Lienz where a giant slalom and a slalom are scheduled on Friday and Saturday. Two more weekend filled with technical races will follow afterwards at Spindleruv Mlyn, in the Czech Republic, and then in Maribor, Slovenia. – AP and Manuèle Lang contributed to this report.

   WCSN.com will webcast coverage of the race today at noon ET.

The SCOOP

By Hank McKee 

Equipment, Women's combined, St Anton, Dec. 22, 2007
Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Vonn, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
2 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
3 Mancuso, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol
4 Fenninger, Head/Head/Head
5 Aubert, Fischer/Fisdcher/Fischer
5 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
7 Borsotti, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
8 Sponring, Head/Tecnica/Tyrolia
9 Jacquemod, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
10 Grand, Head/Head/

Women's super combined, St Anton, Austria, Dec. 22, 2007. … It is the twelfth race of the women's 39 event 2007-2008 World Cup schedule. … It is the first of three scheduled combineds, the second set for Vancouver in February and the third at World Cup finals at Bormio in March. … It is the second of two races at St Anton. … It is the 37th World Cup race to be held at St Anton. … It is the ninth World Cup combined held at St Anton and the fourth women's combined, the last won by Janica Kostelic Jan. 17, 1999. … Lindsey Vonn held a 1.48 second lead after the downhill leg. … Ideal conditions, sun and no wind.
    It is the tenth career win for Lindsey Vonn. … Her first in combined. … She had placed second in a previous combined at Zauchensee Jan. 14, 2007 in a race won by Julia Mancuso. … Her tenth win is the 1
76th for the U.S. in World Cup history and moves her into sole possession of fifth place all-time and second among women all-time behind Tamara McKinney's 18. … She had been tied with Picabo Street and Steve Mahre. … It is her third win of the season the first coming in DH at Lake Louise Dec. 1, and the second in DH at St Anton yesterday. … The last time the U.S. had a back-to-back winner was Bode Miller in DH and SG at Lake Louise Nov. 27 and 28, 2004. … No U.S. woman had won back-to-back since Tamara McKinney in GS and SL at Waterville Valley, NH March 10-11, 1984.
    It is the 13th career World Cup podium for Maria Riesch. … Her second in combined having also finished second at Lenzerheide, exactly six years ago, Dec. 22, 2002. … It is her second podium of the season having placed second in super G at Lake Louise Dec. 2.
    It is the 16th career World Cup podium for Julia Mancuso. … Her third in combined. … It is her third podium of the season and second in two days having also placed third behind Vonn in the downhill yesterday. … The last time the U.S. had two skiers on the podium in the same race – prior to the Dec. 21 DH –  was the Zauchensee combined Jan. 14, 2007 when Mancuso won and Vonn (Kildow) was second.
    It is the fifth best career World Cup result for Stacey Cook, and her career best in combined. … It is her best result of the season. … Emily Brydon matches her fourth best career combined result. … It is the third time in six scored combineds she has finished 14th… She has also been ninth twice and hit the podium with third at Sansicario Feb. 27, 2005.
    Winning margin is .64 of a second. … Fourth place was more than two seconds out. … Vonn takes over the lead in the World Cup overall standings 474-419 for Nicole Hosp (DNF slalom leg) … Maria Riesch is third at 389 and Anja Paerson (DNF DH leg) fourth at 383. … Mancuso moves to sixth on the overall list with 364pts. … The Austrian women lead the Nations Cup 2180-1082 for the U.S. with the Swiss in third at 870.

Did not start 1st run : RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina (SPA)

Did not finish DH : STRENG Simone (AUT), YURKIW Larisa (CAN), PAERSON Anja (SWE), GOERGL Elisabeth (AUT), SCHNARF Johanna (ITA), MERIGHETTI Daniela (ITA), GISIN Dominique (SUI)

Did not finish slalom : COSTAZZA Chiara (ITA), LOLOVIC Jelena (SRB), FISCHBACHER Andrea (AUT), LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica (SWE), HOSP Nicole (AUT), STIEGLER Resi (USA), KIRCHGASSER Michaela (AUT), SCHILD Marlies (AUT), STECHERT Gina (GER), CHMELAR Fanny (GER)