Fenninger fastest in challenging Val d’Isere training run

By Published On: December 19th, 2014Comments Off on Fenninger fastest in challenging Val d’Isere training run
Anna Fenninger logging the fastest training run in Val d'Isere. GEPA

Anna Fenninger logging the fastest training run in Val d’Isere. GEPA

VAL D’ISERE, France – The first and only downhill training run for the ladies on the famed Oreiller-Killy (OK) course did not go off without a hitch or two or three. After fresh snowfall forced the cancellation of Thursday’s training run, delays due to course maintenance and the need to shave down the Columbin jump made for a long Friday as well as potentially misleading results.

Course workers fervently attempted to decrease the size and takeoff angle over the Columbin after forerunners struggled with massive air. Four athletes skied with varying success off the modified jump before Austrian Stefanie Moser, running fifth, crashed hard and had to be evacuated from the slope by patrol. She reportedly suffered a mild concussion and is returning home for a precise diagnosis on possible ligament damage in her right knee. Another long delay ensued while a snow machine was called onto the slope to remove snow from the crest of the jump.

“I definitely enjoyed the air, although it was pretty big. But I thought it was really fun,” said Laurenne Ross, who was one of the first five to ski the course and who finished with the 11th fastest time on the day. “In general, it was just a little bit inconsistent of speed so I kind of was thrown off when I started going fast. But the course is in really good shape. The hill is in surprisingly good shape, and I think I’m ready to race tomorrow.”

Austrian Regina Sterz also ran the course before the machine modified the Columbin, and she finished with the second fastest time behind teammate Anna Fenninger who did not run until after the change to the jump. Fenninger’s run was clean and technically solid, while some others on the results sheet (like Italian Daniela Merighetti in fourth) missed gates.

Although Lindsey Vonn’s run was not error-free and she stood up at the finish line, she still managed to stay within 0.45 seconds of Fenninger and is optimistic about tomorrow’s race.

“Having only one training run forces you to really sack up the first run and test the line out. I definitely didn’t ski my best today. I was a bit nervous, to be honest. Everyone was having trouble with the jump and a bunch of crashes, so I kind of took it easy but I think the skiing itself was pretty good,” said Vonn. “I just made one really big mistake in the middle part, but all-in-all I think it was a good enough run where I can go into tomorrow with confidence.”

Tina Maze is one of the pre-race favorites, but she also took it fairly easy on her only test run down the track to finish nearly a second behind Fenninger in 10th.

“Yesterday I was training slalom, so it’s a big change – the speed is pretty high, so I took it a little bit more conservative. Tomorrow, I’ll just try to do and push myself more, and hopefully we won’t have (those) breaks as today,” noted Maze. “It was really hard to wait and to stay focused. I think I did one step forward today, and tomorrow I hope I can make another one.”

The ladies race downhill tomorrow in Val d’Isere and super G on Sunday.

 

Results

 1  18  55947 FENNINGER Anna 1989 AUT  1:45.93
 2  4  55766 STERZ Regina 1985 AUT  1:46.35  +0.42
 3  14  537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA  1:46.38  +0.45
 4  1  296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela 1981 ITA  1:46.45  +0.52
 5  24  425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth 1991 NOR  1:46.50  +0.57
 6  7  515766 SUTER Fabienne 1985 SUI  1:46.67  +0.74
 7  17  355050 WEIRATHER Tina 1989 LIE  1:46.69  +0.76
 8  33  56125 PUCHNER Mirjam 1992 AUT  1:46.73  +0.80
 9  21  205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria 1989 GER  1:46.75  +0.82
 10  16  565243 MAZE Tina 1983 SLO  1:46.83  +0.90
 11  2  538573 ROSS Laurenne 1988 USA  1:46.85  +0.92
 12  11  537545 MANCUSO Julia 1984 USA  1:46.86  +0.93
 13  19  515747 GISIN Dominique 1985 SUI  1:47.00  +1.07
 13  6  55690 HOSP Nicole 1983 AUT  1:47.00  +1.07
 15  25  56128 HUETTER Cornelia 1992 AUT  1:47.25  +1.32
 16  23  296431 STUFFER Verena 1984 ITA  1:47.30  +1.37
 17  27  495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina 1981 SPA  1:47.33  +1.40
 18  51  197006 GAUTHIER Marine 1990 FRA  1:47.44  +1.51
 19  8  55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea 1985 AUT  1:47.48  +1.55
 20  9  537582 COOK Stacey 1984 USA  1:47.63  +1.70
 21  10  296472 FANCHINI Elena 1985 ITA  1:47.65  +1.72
 22  46  197295 PIOT Jennifer 1992 FRA  1:47.66  +1.73
 23  30  55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole 1989 AUT  1:47.79  +1.86
 24  29  565360 STUHEC Ilka 1990 SLO  1:47.83  +1.90
 25  22  516138 GUT Lara 1991 SUI  1:47.91  +1.98
 26  13  55576 GOERGL Elisabeth 1981 AUT  1:47.92  +1.99
 27  20  505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE  1:48.07  +2.14
 28  56  196812 PELLISSIER Marion 1988 FRA  1:48.09  +2.16
 29  61  375018 COLETTI Alexandra 1983 MON  1:48.22  +2.29
 30  31  298323 GOGGIA Sofia 1992 ITA  1:48.36  +2.43
 31  32  538685 MCKENNIS Alice 1989 USA  1:48.42  +2.49
 32  15  515782 ABDERHALDEN Marianne 1986 SUI  1:48.45  +2.52
 33  52  297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA  1:48.48  +2.55
 34  39  538855 FORD Julia 1990 USA  1:48.59  +2.66
 35  3  245066 MIKLOS Edit 1988 HUN  1:48.63  +2.70
 36  36  196968 BAILET Margot 1990 FRA  1:48.79  +2.86
 37  50  516219 NUFER Priska 1992 SUI  1:48.81  +2.88
 38  40  296427 SCHNARF Johanna 1984 ITA  1:48.86  +2.93
 39  55  197592 REILLER Gaelle 1995 FRA  1:48.89  +2.96
 40  49  516145 KUENG Mirena 1988 SUI  1:49.00  +3.07
 41  47  197009 GEROUDET Jeromine 1990 FRA  1:49.04  +3.11
 42  44  539536 WILES Jacqueline 1992 USA  1:49.05  +3.12
 43  48  565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO  1:49.14  +3.21
 44  35  425929 MOWINCKEL Ragnhild 1992 NOR  1:49.23  +3.30
 45  41  565333 BRODNIK Vanja 1989 SLO  1:49.26  +3.33
 46  53  515997 FEIERABEND Denise 1989 SUI  1:49.34  +3.41
 47  28  196460 JAY MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie 1985 FRA  1:49.44  +3.51
 48  42  155563 KRIZOVA Klara 1989 CZE  1:49.53  +3.60
 49  12  195983 ROLLAND Marion 1982 FRA  1:49.57  +3.64
 50  38  56088 TIPPLER Tamara 1991 AUT  1:49.59  +3.66
 51  45  296729 FANCHINI Nadia 1986 ITA  1:49.63  +3.70
 52  54  197665 LARROUY Noemie 1995 FRA  1:49.74  +3.81
 53  34  516319 SUTER Corinne 1994 SUI  1:49.82  +3.89
 54  37  206460 WENIG Michaela 1992 GER  1:50.10  +4.17
 55  26  106849 YURKIW Larisa 1988 CAN  1:50.37  +4.44
 56  59  206520 DORSCH Patrizia 1994 GER  1:50.64  +4.71
 57  58  206548 MAGG Ann Katrin 1994 GER  1:50.78  +4.85
 57  43  56177 VENIER Stephanie 1993 AUT  1:50.78  +4.85
 59  57  435245 CHRAPEK Karolina 1990 POL  1:51.66  +5.73
 60  63  465098 CAILL Ania Monica 1995 ROU  1:53.01  +7.08
 61  62  115115 BARAHONA Noelle 1990 CHI  1:55.01  +9.08
Did not start 1st run
 60  297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA
Did not finish 1st run
 5  55913 MOSER Stefanie 1988 AUT

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About the Author: C.J. Feehan

Christine J. Feehan is a USSA Level 300 coach who spent more than a decade training athletes at U.S. ski academies - Burke, Sugar Bowl, and Killington - before serving as Editor in Chief at Ski Racing Media through 2017. She worked for the FIS on the World Cup tour for three years and then settled into her current home in Oslo, Norway.