TORINO: Alpine: Kostelic insists she won't race in giant slalom

By Published On: February 22nd, 2006Comments Off on TORINO: Alpine: Kostelic insists she won't race in giant slalom

TORINO: Alpine: Kostelic insists she won’t race in giant slalom{mosimage}SESTIERE, Italy – Janica Kostelic failed to defend her Olympic gold in the women’s slalom, and she won’t even try to hold on to her giant slalom title.

The Croatian, who is the most decorated female alpine skier in Olympic history but has been battling illness for almost two weeks, was bumped from the podium Wednesday by the last racer of the day – rival Anja Paerson.

”I’m done. For these Games I’m done,” said Kostelic, who finished fourth. ”I was feeling terrible. … I really can’t do more. It’s too much for my body. I tried today and I gave it all. That’s it.”

Paerson won her first gold of the Torino Games, while Austrian skiers Nicole Hosp and Marlies Schild finished second and third.

”Anja deserves the (gold medal). She wanted it really hard so it’s good,” Kostelic said.

Kostelic was in fifth place after the opening slalom run, then went back to her apartment to sleep before her second trip down the floodlit, fog-shrouded Giovanni A. Agnelli course.

”I went to my apartment and I was thinking about if I should skip the second run, but then I figured just one more run to go then I’m done,” Kostelic said, adding she was 90 percent certain she would skip Friday’s giant slalom. ”I felt really bad. I had problems with my stomach.”

The 24-year-old has won six medals in two Olympics. Wednesday’s race was the first time in seven Olympic races – at Torino and Salt Lake City four years ago- that Kostelic failed to win a medal.

Four of her six Olympic medals have been gold, including Saturday’s combined race. She also took silver in Monday’s super G, but pulled out of the downhill because of a high pulse.

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