Tommy Ford bids for Worlds start with EC GS win

By Published On: January 28th, 2011Comments Off on Tommy Ford bids for Worlds start with EC GS win

tomm fordTommy Ford may not have put a lock on a GS start at the World Championships by winning the Europa Cup GS at Meribel, France today (Jan. 28), but he sure made his chances look a lot better.

Second fastest in the first run, Ford won the second heat to take the race over Markus Nilsen of Norway. Alexis Pinturault of France was third.

“It’s a sweet hill,” said squad coach  Forest Carey. “It’s got about a 30 second steep pitch at the bottom and the top has a lot of twists and terrain. Tommy was particularly fast up top.”

Run in what the coach described as “primo, perfect conditions,” the race is one of the few chances left before racing starts at the World Championships for skiers named to the title team to impress the coaches and lock down a start. Head coach Sasha Rearick has said the fastest guys will start and the GS  event, in particular, could see up to eight of the ten men fighting for a start spot.

At Meribel, beyond Ford, Nolan Kasper finished 23rd and Warner Nickerson 40th at Meribel. Colby Granstrom was 43rd and Thomas Biesemeyer failed to finish.

If nothing else the result will give Ford a better start position for the last World Cup race before the championships, a GS at Hinterstoder, Feb. 6. Carey estimated Ford would start in the low 30’s. Rearick said no decision will be made on the starters until after the Hinterstoder race.

Gepa photo shows Tommy Ford at Schladming

Place   Meribel
(FRA)
  Discipline   Giant Slalom
Date   28.01.2011   Category   European Cup
Race codex   0515   Gender   M
Valid for FIS Points   YES   TD Name   Rüssli Stefan (SUI)
       
  
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  11  531799 FORD Tommy  1989  USA   1:11.88  1:12.09  2:23.97  6.00
 2  4  421859 NILSEN Markus  1989  NOR   1:11.73  1:12.62  2:24.35  8.30
 3  7  194364 PINTURAULT Alexis  1991  FRA   1:12.01  1:13.00  2:25.01  12.28
 4  1  192653 FREY Thomas  1984  FRA   1:12.80  1:12.42  2:25.22  13.55
 5  16  51159 NOESIG Christoph  1985  AUT   1:12.72  1:12.64  2:25.36  14.40
 6  3  511896 MURISIER Justin  1992  SUI   1:12.54  1:12.87  2:25.41  14.70
 7  17  51401 GRAF Bernhard  1988  AUT   1:12.31  1:13.11  2:25.42  14.76
 8  19  511908 SCHMIDIGER Reto  1992  SUI   1:13.13  1:12.56  2:25.69  16.39
 9  18  53980 KRIECHMAYR Vincent  1991  AUT   1:13.35  1:12.35  2:25.70  16.45
 10  6  421650 BJERKESTRAND Iver  1987  NOR   1:12.09  1:13.83  2:25.92  17.78
 11  26  193672 BLANC Samy  1988  FRA   1:13.04  1:13.12  2:26.16  19.23
 12  10  193967 MUFFAT JEANDET Victor  1989  FRA   1:12.76  1:13.41  2:26.17  19.29
 13  9  194495 FAIVRE Mathieu  1992  FRA   1:12.51  1:13.68  2:26.19  19.42
 14  15  511718 PLEISCH Manuel  1990  SUI   1:12.61  1:13.64  2:26.25  19.78
 15  2  292967 EISATH Florian  1984  ITA   1:12.47  1:13.82  2:26.29  20.02
 16  28  51332 SCHEIBER Florian  1987  AUT   1:13.75  1:12.59  2:26.34  20.32
 17  65  194146 LAMBERT Nicolas  1990  FRA   1:13.81  1:12.57  2:26.38  20.56
 18  35  421954 LYSDAHL Espen  1990  NOR   1:13.53  1:12.90  2:26.43  20.87
 19  68  421750 HAUG Kristian  1988  NOR   1:13.72  1:12.76  2:26.48  21.17
 20  30  990116 DE ALIPRANDINI Luca  1990  ITA   1:13.10  1:13.50  2:26.60  21.89
 21  13  53985 MATHIS Marcel  1991  AUT   1:13.71  1:13.04  2:26.75  22.80
 22  22  532138 KASPER Nolan  1989  USA   1:13.52  1:13.24  2:26.76  22.86
 23  8  54031 LEITINGER Roland  1991  AUT   1:12.62  1:14.20  2:26.82  23.22
 24  20  421946 KRISTIANSEN Emil Bjoertomt  1990  NOR   1:13.63  1:13.68  2:27.31  26.18
 25  52  294911 PATSCHEIDER Hagen  1988  ITA   1:13.75  1:13.65  2:27.40  26.73
 26  34  561117 KUERNER Miha  1987  SLO   1:13.20  1:14.38  2:27.58  27.81
 27  21  481006 ZUEV Stepan  1988  RUS   1:14.30  1:13.68  2:27.98  30.23
 28  41  194212 THOULE Nicolas  1990  FRA   1:13.90  1:14.23  2:28.13  31.14
 29  67  421849 JOHANSEN Truls  1989  NOR   1:14.29  1:13.98  2:28.27  31.98
 30  24  53969 BISCHOF Martin  1991  AUT   1:14.02  1:14.50  2:28.52  33.50
 31  40  511504 BONER Sandro  1988  SUI   1:14.76  1:14.04  2:28.80  35.19
 32  23  500933 OLSSON Jon  1982  SWE   1:14.83  1:14.01  2:28.84  35.43
 33  29  501255 OEHAGEN Johan  1987  SWE   1:14.71  1:14.26  2:28.97  36.21
 34  50  6290440 ZINGERLE Alex  1992  ITA   1:14.78  1:14.31  2:29.09  36.94
 35  47  193866 BLANC Norman  1989  FRA   1:14.84  1:14.34  2:29.18  37.48
 36  63  501230 ERICSSON Daniel  1987  SWE   1:14.67  1:14.66  2:29.33  38.39
 36  33  293953 SENONER Jonas  1986  ITA   1:14.38  1:14.95  2:29.33  38.39
 38  49  510883 GERBER Sepp  1989  SUI   1:14.91  1:14.43  2:29.34  38.45
 39  27  534038 NICKERSON Warner  1981  USA   1:14.65  1:14.79  2:29.44  39.05
 40  59  501557 PIETILAE HOLMNER Johan  1991  SWE   1:15.20  1:14.27  2:29.47  39.24
 41  44  511638 TUMLER Thomas  1989  SUI   1:14.68  1:14.83  2:29.51  39.48
 42  36  930105 GRANSTROM Colby  1990  USA   1:14.18  1:15.35  2:29.53  39.60
 43  61  194686 FABRE Jonas  1993  FRA   1:14.73  1:14.89  2:29.62  40.14
 44  72  194167 MUZATON Maxence  1990  FRA   1:14.38  1:15.54  2:29.92  41.96
 45  76  511852 CAVIEZEL Gino  1992  SUI   1:14.91  1:15.18  2:30.09  42.98
 46  32  294348 PERAUDO Adam  1987  ITA   1:14.26  1:15.92  2:30.18  43.53
 47  31  30149 SIMARI BIRKNER Cristian Javier  1980  ARG   1:15.04  1:15.27  2:30.31  44.31
 48  56  194207 THEOLIER Steven  1990  FRA   1:14.86  1:15.46  2:30.32  44.37
 49  55  202125 ZEPNIK Philipp  1988  GER   1:14.30  1:16.03  2:30.33  44.43
 50  82  561199 SOVIC Tomaz  1990  SLO   1:14.97  1:16.52  2:31.49  51.44
 51  75  194332 MARICAL Antoine  1991  FRA   1:15.33  1:16.67  2:32.00  54.52
 52  14  193986 PLACE Francois  1989  FRA   1:12.70  1:19.87  2:32.57  57.97
 53  83  561214 DEBELAK Tilen  1991  SLO   1:15.35  1:19.70  2:35.05  72.96
Disqualified 2nd run
   45  491129 TERRA Ferran  1987  SPA         
Did not start 2nd run
   48  421943 KIRKEFJORD Goeran  1990  NOR         
   46  53933 SCHWEIGER Patrick  1990  AUT         
Did not start 1st run
   77  202059 FERSTL Josef  1988  GER         
Did not qualify 2nd run
   85  561245 VUKICEVIC Marko  1992  SLO         
   81  194454 MAITRE Arnaud  1992  FRA         
   80  194314 JAGOT Benoit  1991  FRA         
   78  194542 GIRAUD MOINE Valentin  1992  FRA         
   74  303758 SUGAI Ryo  1991  JPN         
   71  220874 BALDWIN TJ  1990  GBR         
   64  501265 STEFFENSEN Tobias  1987  SWE         
   62  530920 SWENSSON Joe  1986  USA         
   53  194071 BERNARD Justin  1990  FRA         
   51  200272 BRUEDERL Timo  1989  GER         
   42  6530319 COCHRAN-SIEGLE Ryan  1992  USA         
   37  293079 PITTSCHIELER Kurt  1984  ITA         
Did not finish 2nd run
   70  511633 SINGER Thomas  1989  SUI         
   39  511513 CAVIEZEL Mauro  1988  SUI         
   38  531452 BIESEMEYER Thomas  1989  USA         
   5  990048 BORSOTTI Giovanni  1990  ITA         
Did not finish 1st run
   84  193347 TISSOT Maxime  1986  FRA         
   79  501529 GUNNARSSON Henrik  1991  SWE         
   73  194457 GALEOTTI Greg  1992  FRA         
   69  202196 BRANDNER Klaus  1990  GER         
   66  194444 GONZALEZ Quentin  1992  FRA         
   60  53906 POELZGUTTER Benjamin  1990  AUT         
   58  491151 DE LA CUESTA Paul  1988  SPA         
   57  294890 NANI Roberto  1988  ITA         
   54  511527 GEHRIG Marc  1988  SUI         
   43  53922 WIESER Manuel  1990  AUT         
   25  53902 MAYER Matthias  1990  AUT         
   12  990081 CASSE Mattia  1990  ITA       

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About the Author: Hank McKee

In memoriam: The veteran of the staff, McKee started with Ski Racing in 1980. Over the seasons, he covered virtually every aspect of the sport, from the pro tours to junior racing, freestyle and World Cup alpine competition. He wrote the first national stories for many U.S. team stars, and was still around to report on their retirements. “Longevity has its rewards,” he said, “but it’s a slow process.”