Fenninger fastest in challenging Val d’Isere training run
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 |