Bansko: Super Vonn wins fourth straight SG

By Published On: March 1st, 2009Comments Off on Bansko: Super Vonn wins fourth straight SG

Lindsey Vonn just cannot be stopped. After clinching the World Cup downhill title on Saturday, Vonn came back to win her fourth straight super G race on Sunday.

The tricky gate set did nothing to slow her down on the fast, winding course in Bansko, Bulgaria, that few mastered in the two preceding downhill races.

Vonn won in 1 minute, 14.49 seconds and is now in hot contention to add the World Cup super G title to her hardware this season.

The victory can be stacked on top of SG wins last weekend in Tarvisio, the World Champs gold in Val d’Isere and the World Cup race that preceded it in Garmisch.

Also, just to prove her two podium finishes (first and third) in the two Bansko downhill races were no fluke, Swiss racer Fabienne Suter proved that she for one has the upper hand on this course and went three-for-three in podium finishes, taking second Sunday, .58 seconds behind Vonn. Tina Maze also appears to have the course outsmarted with her second straight podium finish, taking third Sunday, .91 seconds behind Vonn.
Lindsey Vonn just cannot be stopped. After clinching the World Cup downhill title on Saturday, Vonn came back to win her fourth straight super G race on Sunday.

The tricky gate set did nothing to slow her down on the fast, winding course in Bansko, Bulgaria, that few mastered in the two preceding downhill races.

Vonn won in 1 minute, 14.49 seconds and is now in hot contention to add the World Cup super G title to her hardware this season.

“I’m really happy about today,” Vonn said. “I really wanted to have a win here in Bansko. Everyone’s been so supportive of me and the fans have been incredible. I wanted to put on a good show and today was a great end to the weekend.”

The victory can be stacked on top of SG wins last weekend in Tarvisio, the World Champs gold in Val d’Isere and the World Cup race that preceded it in Garmisch.

“What she’s doing right now is pretty amazing,” said U.S. women’s speed coach Alex Hoedlmoser. “We started this run in Garmisch when I set the course and she won. Since then she’s had an incredible amount of confidence in super G. With Lindsey, that’s all it takes.”

Though Vonn won the downhill title on Saturday, she wasn’t thrilled with her 12th-place finish and Hoedlmoser said she was seeking a vengeance of sorts on the SG course.

“I’m pretty psyched with this because yesterday she wasn’t all that happy,” he said. “Even though she secured the downhill title, she wasn’t thinking about that. She was only thinking about that race and it didn’t turn out that well for her. But today, she took that anger she had from yesterday and put it down the hill. She skied awesome and showed the world she’s right there with super G.”

Also, just to prove her two podium finishes (first and third) in the two Bansko downhill races were no fluke, Swiss racer Fabienne Suter proved that she for one has the upper hand on this course and went three-for-three in podium finishes, taking second Sunday, .58 seconds behind Vonn. Tina Maze also appears to have the course outsmarted with her second straight podium finish, taking third Sunday, .91 seconds behind Vonn.

Suter now leads the SG Cup standings with 376 points and Vonn is on her heels with 361.

With just two more races – giant slalom and slalom – in Offerschwang, Germany, next weekend, followed by the World Cup Finals March 9-15 in Are, Sweden, Vonn leads the overall standings with 1556 points, followed by Maria Riesch – who tied for fifth Sunday – with 1165. Vonn said she is going to concentrate heavily on the super G race in the Finals.

“My main focus is going to be on the super G because that’s the only title that I think is in the air still,” she said. “The strategy is that I have to attack. i think Fabienne is going to be fighting and well and Fanchini [now third in the SG standings], so there’s no conservative skiing for me. I have to be really aggressive.”

Julia Mancuso faired well once more on the Bansko course, taking 16th Sunday, while Keely Kelleher landed in 26th place.


The SCOOP
By Hank McKee


Equipment
Women’s super G, Bansko, Bulgaria, March 1, 2009

Skier, skis/boots/bindings
1 Vonn, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
2 Suter, Stoeckli/Lange/Atomic
3 Maze, Stoeckli/Lange/Rossignol
4 Jacquemod, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon
5 Aufdenblatten, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol
5 Riesch, Head/Lange/Tyrolia
7 Fanchini, Dynastar/Lange/Look
8 Fischbacher, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic
9 Mader, Voelkl/Tecnica/Marker
10 Paerson, Head/Head/Head

Women’s Super G, Bansko, Bulgaria, March 1, 2009. … It is the 28th race of the women’s 36 race World Cup schedule, with one cancellation. … It is the sixth of seven scheduled super G’s. … It is the third of three races scheduled at Bansko, a first time World Cup site.

It is the 20th career World Cup win for Lindsey Vonn. … Her fifth in super G. … It is her seventh Cup win (9th total including Worlds) this season. … and ninth podium in her last 10 races. … It is the 196th U.S. World Cup win. … The 17th in super G. … Vonn has the last four of those SG wins. … It is the first SG Cup win in Bansko.

It is the ninth career World Cup podium for Fabienne Suter. … The sixth in super G. … It is her ninth podium of the season. … fourth in SG. … All four of them second place finishes. … She has two SG wins to her 2008 resume’. …She will have fond memories of Bansko having made all three places on the podium in the three races at the site.

It is the 16th career World Cup podium for Tina Maze. … Her fourth of the season. … And third in the last four races. … It is her fifth career Super G podium. … and second of the season having also placed third at Tarvisio Feb. 22. … She has never won a Cup SG, finishing second one (St Moritz 2006) and third four times, once in 2004 once in 2005 and twice here in two weeks.

It was the seventh best score of the season for Emily Brydon. … Her third best in World Cup SG. … It is the second best SG result of the season for Julia Mancuso. … Since finishing 18th in the World Championship GS Feb. 12 she had been in the top 20 five times in six races. … It is the third career scoring result for Keely Kelleher and second in two days. … It was the ninth scoring result of the season for Britt Janyk.

Lindsey Vonn increases her World Cup overall standings lead to 1556-1165 over Maria Riesch (fifth in race). … Anja Paerson (10th in race) moves to third place with 986pts. … There are six races remaining on the active schedule. … Only Riesch and Paerson can catch Vonn …  Fabienne Suter maintains her hold on the super G standings 376-361 over Vonn. … Nadia Fanchini (seventh in race) is third at 336pts. … There is one race remaining. … Austria leads the women’s Nations Cup 3853-3065 over Switzerland. … The U.S. is fifth at 2021. … Canada ninth at 776.


Bansko super G results:

Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
 1  18  537544 VONN Lindsey  1984  USA   1:14.49  0.00
 2  20  515766 SUTER Fabienne  1985  SUI   1:15.07  8.25
 3  9  565243 MAZE Tina  1983  SLO   1:15.40  12.95
 4  3  195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid  1978  FRA   1:15.64  16.36
 5  11  515573 AUFDENBLATTEN Fraenzi  1981  SUI   1:15.82  18.93
 5  8  206001 RIESCH Maria  1984  GER   1:15.82  18.93
 7  21  296729 FANCHINI Nadia  1986  ITA   1:15.84  19.21
 8  16  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea  1985  AUT   1:16.09  22.77
 9  4  55766 MADER Regina  1985  AUT   1:16.15  23.62
 10  17  505483 PAERSON Anja  1981  SWE   1:16.23  24.76
 11  10  55069 GOETSCHL Renate  1975  AUT   1:16.36  26.61
 12  5  515170 STYGER Nadia  1978  SUI   1:16.37  26.75
 13  12  196460 MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie  1985  FRA   1:16.52  28.89
 14  14  105997 BRYDON Emily  1980  CAN   1:16.75  32.16
 15  15  515849 DETTLING Andrea  1987  SUI   1:16.78  32.59
 16  30  537545 MANCUSO Julia  1984  USA   1:16.80  32.87
 17  23  295136 CECCARELLI Daniela  1975  ITA   1:16.86  33.73
 18  31  296473 SIORPAES Wendy  1985  ITA   1:16.88  34.01
 19  26  55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole  1989  AUT   1:16.90  34.29
 20  28  195983 ROLLAND Marion  1982  FRA   1:16.91  34.44
 21  19  516138 GUT Lara  1991  SUI   1:17.31  40.13
 22  24  55818 KOEHLE Stefanie  1986  AUT   1:17.39  41.27
 23  41  196573 REVILLET Aurelie  1986  FRA   1:17.43  41.84
 23  2  515560 SCHILD Martina  1981  SUI   1:17.43  41.84
 25  29  225206 ALCOTT Chemmy  1982  GBR   1:17.47  42.41
 26  34  537565 KELLEHER Keely  1984  USA   1:17.70  45.68
 27  43  297153 CIPRIANI Enrica  1988  ITA   1:17.73  46.11
 28  25  515806 KAMER Nadja  1986  SUI   1:17.98  49.66
 29  13  106022 JANYK Britt  1980  CAN   1:18.01  50.09
 30  32  515747 GISIN Dominique  1985  SUI   1:18.09  51.23
 31  33  537582 COOK Stacey  1984  USA   1:18.17  52.37
 32  36  538038 MARSHALL Chelsea  1986  USA   1:18.41  55.78
 33  38  296427 SCHNARF Johanna  1984  ITA   1:18.52  57.35
 34  35  55588 RUMPFHUBER Ingrid  1981  AUT   1:19.19  66.88
 35  39  505449 BENT Nike  1981  SWE   1:19.41  70.01
 36  37  296431 STUFFER Verena  1984  ITA   1:19.61  72.86
 37  40  537626 RICHARDSON Kaylin  1984  USA   1:19.94  77.55
 38  45  95050 KIRKOVA Maria  1986  BUL   1:22.10  108.29
Did not start 1st run
   27  106402 VANDERBEEK Kelly  1983  CAN     
Did not finish 1st run
   44  505886 KLING Kajsa  1988  SWE     
   42  106849 YURKIW Larisa  1988  CAN     
   22  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth  1981  AUT     
   7  296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela  1981  ITA     
   6  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina  1981  SPA     
   1  206175 STECHERT Gina  1987  GER     


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About the Author: Pete Rugh