Worley survives for the win in St. Moritz

By Published On: December 15th, 2013Comments Off on Worley survives for the win in St. Moritz
Worley in St. Moritz (GEPA/Harald Steiner)

Worley in St. Moritz (GEPA/Harald Steiner)

The third giant slalom of the World Cup season will be partially remembered for who did not make it to the second run. Mikaela Shiffrin, Lara Gut, Tina Weirather and Elisabeth Goergl were among the ladies unable to complete their first attempt on a wide-open St. Moritz course riddled with fallaway terrain and demanding turns.

After two runs, however, it was France’s Tessa Worley taking home the deserved victory. Worley, who also had a strong super G result (ninth) on Saturday, was fastest in the first of two GS runs. The Schladming GS gold medalist went into the afternoon with a three-tenths advantage over Sweden’s Jessica Lindell-Vikarby. Worley struggled to find the line in the first half of the run, relinquishing most of the lead, but found her rhythm on the bottom portion to charge home for the win.

For Lindell-Vikarby, things are looking very good. Coming off a winning giant slalom performance over Mikaela Shiffrin in Beaver Creek, the Swede skied another solid second run top to bottom, proving she’s no one-hit wonder this season.

Lindell-Vikarby was also able to topple last winter’s overall champ and giant slalom ace, Tina Maze, who in the second run of this contest resembled her former self perhaps for the first time this season. Maze has won twice before in St. Moritz, and she knew her second run was going to be competitive, emotionally pounding her chest in the finish area. Ultimately, it was the second-fastest second run, just three-hundredths slower than the standard set by Worley, who finished with a combined time of 2 minutes, 7.62 seconds.

However, with a whopping 21 racers skiing the second run within one second of Worley’s pace, the morning — if skiers survived it — proved to be the deciding factor in the race.

“It feels really awesome because this beginning of the season wasn’t great for me in GS, and I’m just so happy today,” said Worley after the win. “The snow was so good that you just wanted to go really far on your edges, and I think sometimes it was a bit tricky because with all those bumps and everything, yeah, you needed to be very focused and (use) tactics.”

In the first run, six of the first 17 ladies crashed and did not finish. Running bib No. 1, Shiffrin leaned in on a fallaway turn and slid out for a rare DNF. Head Coach Alex Hoedlmoser said the conditions, especially in the morning, were slick and racers who were not solid over the downhill ski wound up sliding out: “It was tricky and those things happen. (Shiffrin) is skiing well and there’s no reason to be concerned.”

For the rest of the Americans, there’s some pretty good news to report. Julia Mancuso earned her best result of the season: 12th. The veteran was pressuring better above the gate, but not quite attacking the course enough to crack the top ten.

“It’s very positive that we are actually headed in the right direction with the setup this year,” said Hoedlmoser of Mancuso, who has struggled on and off with dialing in her equipment since switching to Head last season. “She feels really comfortable on this type of setup right now, and now it’s just building confidence on that … It was a big step forward today.”

Meanwhile, unsupported American racer and last season’s overall NorAm champ, Megan McJames, earned her first World Cup points since 2010. A couple bobbles in the second run may have killed some speed, but skiing to 23rd place from bib 45 was not too shabby for the Utah native.

“Obviously I am excited to be back in the points again,” said McJames. “I have been skiing fast over the last month, and I knew that all I needed was to put two runs together. It was really rewarding to myself and my staff to be able to it here in St. Moritz.”

Marie-Michele Gagnon, who has been on a tear lately, was sitting in fourth after the morning and was poised for a possible podium; however, she got into trouble five turns into the second run, and it went downhill from there, figuratively. The Canadian skied far too direct a line, and a series of tactical errors ultimately forced her down onto her hip. She failed to complete the second run, skiing out just a few gates before the finish.

“It’s such a disappointment to see a fourth place or a podium go away. I left in on the hill today,” said Gagnon.

“Four gates from the finish. Can you believe it? She was either going to finish third or fourth,” noted head Canadian women’s coach Hugues Answermoz. “She wanted to win. She didn’t want to just finish, she wanted to move ahead and she attacked – she took chances.”

With Gut and Weirather skiing out in the first run, the day’s results are positive for Maria Hoefl-Riesch, who skied a very steady, relaxed second run to finish 11th on the day. More importantly, however, the German creeped up on the Swiss in the overall standings: Gut hangs on to the lead, 482-461, over Hoefl-Riesch in second. Saturday’s winner Tina Weirather walked away empty-handed on Sunday, but she still sits in third with 445 points.

See the photo gallery here.

 

Watch Worley’s winning run (available only in the U.S.)

 

The Scoop

by Hank McKee

Women’s World Cup Giant Slalom, St Moritz, Switzerland,

Equipment – Skier, skis/boots/bindings

1 Worley, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

2 Lindell-Vikarby, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

3 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic

4 Zettel, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic

5 Marmottan, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

6 Pietilae-Holmner, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol

7 Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look

8 Fenninger, Head/Head/Head

9 Marsaglia, Voelkl/Rossignol/Rossignol

10 Kling, Head/Head/Head

 

Women’s World Cup Giant Slalom, St. Moritz, Switzerland, Dec. 15, 2013. … It is the tenth of 32 races on the women’s 2013-14 World Cup schedule… the third of eight scheduled GS’s. … It is the 43rd World Cup race hosted at St. Moritz. … the fifth GS and fourth women’s GS. … Tina Maze and now Tessa Worley have each won two GS’s at the site.

It is the eighth career World Cup win for Tessa Worley, all in GS with the previous scored at Soldeu-Grandvalira Feb 12, 2012. … She previously won at St. Moritz Dec. 12, 2010. … She is now second among French racers all time in GS breaking a tie held with Francois Macchi and Jean-Claude Killy. … She still chases Carole Merle with 10 GS wins.

It is the fifth career World Cup podium for Jessica Lindell-Vikarby… her third in GS. … It is her second of the season having won the Beaver Creek GS Dec. 1. … She hd not previously scored a top 10 finish at St. Moritz.

It is the 64th career World Cup podium result for Tina Maze… her 26th in GS… her ninth scored at St. Moritz and fourth in GS at the site. It is her second podium of the season, the other a third in slalom at Levi. A season ago she had 699 points with six podiums at this time.

It is the 144th time Julia Mancuso has placed among the top 12 in a World Cup race. … the tenth time at St. Moritz. … It is the eighth top-20 placing for Marie-Pier Prefontaine… her second score of the season. … It is the first World Cup scoring result for Megan McJames since Jan. 24, 2010 in GS at Cortina.

Lara Gut (DNF 1st) maintains the lead of the World Cup overall standings 482-461 over Maria Hoefl-Riesch (11th in race). … Tina Weirather is third with 445pts. … Mikaela Shiffrin (DNF 1st) is top U.S. skier in seventh with 220pts. … Marie Michele Gagnon (DNF 2nd) is top Canadian in 15th with 157pts.

Jessica Lindell-Vikarby leads the GS standings 212-146 over Kathrin Zettel (fourth in race) … Worley is third with 139pts. … Shiffrin is fifth with 120pts and Gagnon 15th with 46pts.

Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup 1581-1106 over Switzerland. … Germany is third with 764. … The U.S. is sixth with 522pts and Canada tenth with 294pts.

 

Results 

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Run 1 Run 2 Total Time FIS Points
 1  6  196928 WORLEY Tessa 1989 FRA  1:04.34  1:03.28  2:07.62  0.00
 2  2  505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica 1984 SWE  1:04.63  1:03.36  2:07.99  2.58
 3  3  565243 MAZE Tina 1983 SLO  1:05.10  1:03.31  2:08.41  5.51
 4  4  55838 ZETTEL Kathrin 1986 AUT  1:04.84  1:04.48  2:09.32  11.86
 5  11  196793 MARMOTTAN Anemone 1988 FRA  1:05.43  1:03.99  2:09.42  12.55
 6  18  505760 PIETILAE-HOLMNER Maria 1986 SWE  1:05.68  1:03.77  2:09.45  12.76
 7  20  296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA  1:05.81  1:03.75  2:09.56  13.53
 8  5  55947 FENNINGER Anna 1989 AUT  1:06.09  1:03.61  2:09.70  14.51
 9  52  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA  1:06.08  1:03.85  2:09.93  16.11
 10  39  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE  1:06.08  1:03.88  2:09.96  16.32
 11  14  206001 HOEFL-RIESCH Maria 1984 GER  1:06.09  1:04.11  2:10.20  17.99
 12  8  537545 MANCUSO Julia 1984 USA  1:05.83  1:04.38  2:10.21  18.06
 13  29  296259 MOELGG Manuela 1983 ITA  1:06.24  1:04.03  2:10.27  18.48
 13  9  515747 GISIN Dominique 1985 SUI  1:06.78  1:03.49  2:10.27  18.48
 15  12  55898 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT  1:06.54  1:03.77  2:10.31  18.76
 16  34  425771 LOESETH Nina 1989 NOR  1:06.45  1:03.90  2:10.35  19.04
 17  48  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea 1985 AUT  1:07.02  1:03.44  2:10.46  19.81
 18  37  196179 BERTRAND Marion 1984 FRA  1:05.89  1:04.59  2:10.48  19.95
 19  26  106825 PREFONTAINE Marie-Pier 1988 CAN  1:06.23  1:04.28  2:10.51  20.15
 20  36  506399 HECTOR Sara 1992 SWE  1:06.18  1:04.43  2:10.61  20.85
 21  33  197319 BAUD Adeline 1992 FRA  1:06.99  1:03.64  2:10.63  20.99
 22  23  185140 POUTIAINEN Tanja 1980 FIN  1:06.38  1:04.28  2:10.66  21.20
 23  45  538284 MCJAMES Megan 1987 USA  1:06.80  1:03.89  2:10.69  21.41
 24  44  565331 LAVTAR Katarina 1988 SLO  1:06.63  1:04.17  2:10.80  22.18
 25  43  55977 THALMANN Carmen 1989 AUT  1:06.82  1:04.03  2:10.85  22.53
 26  19  55818 KOEHLE Stefanie 1986 AUT  1:06.37  1:04.55  2:10.92  23.01
 27  27  196725 BARIOZ Taina 1988 FRA  1:06.90  1:04.24  2:11.14  24.55
Disqualified 2nd run
 47  155699 PAULATHOVA Katerina 1993 CZE
Did not start 1st run
 67  565360 STUHEC Ilka 1990 SLO
 65  565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO
Did not qualify for 2nd run
 70  245066 MIKLOS Edit 1988 HUN
 68  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina 1981 SPA
 66  715123 NOVAKOVIC Zana 1985 BIH
 63  197295 PIOT Jennifer 1992 FRA
 60  206355 DUERR Lena 1991 GER
 59  485563 PROSTEVA Elena 1990 RUS
 58  106961 MIELZYNSKI Erin 1990 CAN
 57  516268 WILD Simone 1993 SUI
 56  197215 MASSIOS Marie 1992 FRA
 55  298084 AGERER Lisa Magdalena 1991 ITA
 54  107532 TOMMY Mikaela 1995 CAN
 51  516394 SUTER Jasmina 1995 SUI
 50  515766 SUTER Fabienne 1985 SUI
 42  425887 LOESETH Mona 1991 NOR
 41  516280 HOLDENER Wendy 1993 SUI
 40  297171 FANCHINI Sabrina 1988 ITA
 32  306249 HASEGAWA Emi 1986 JPN
 31  56087 SIEBENHOFER Ramona 1991 AUT
 30  297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA
 24  565268 DREV Ana 1985 SLO
Did not finish 2nd run
 22  295445 KARBON Denise 1980 ITA
 10  105269 GAGNON Marie-Michele 1989 CAN
Did not finish 1st run
 69  465098 CAILL Ania Monica 1995 ROU
 64  405138 JELINKOVA Adriana 1995 NED
 62  206520 DORSCH Patrizia 1994 GER
 61  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth 1991 NOR
 53  206444 HOESL Simona 1992 GER
 49  298694 PICHLER Karoline 1994 ITA
 46  506348 STAALNACKE Ylva 1992 SWE
 38  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR
 35  56125 PUCHNER Mirjam 1992 AUT
 28  206367 HRONEK Veronique 1991 GER
 25  196726 BARTHET Anne-Sophie 1988 FRA
 21  55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT
 17  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE
 16  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth 1981 AUT
 15  505679 HANSDOTTER Frida 1985 SWE
 13  297601 BRIGNONE Federica 1990 ITA
 7  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI
 1  6535237 SHIFFRIN Mikaela 1995 USA

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About the Author: Geoff Mintz

Geoff Mintz is a former alpine ski racer who cut his teeth at Ragged Mountain and Waterville Valley, N.H. After graduating from Holderness and UVM, he relocated to Colorado, where he worked on the hill prior to pursuing a career in journalism. Mintz served as associate editor for Ski Racing Media from 2011 to 2015. He later reconnected with his local roots to manage all marketing and communications for Ski & Snowboard Club Vail before resuming work at SRM as editor-in-chief.