South American speed wraps up in El Colorado
The final continental cup speed series in the Southern Hemisphere concluded on Friday in El Colorado, Chile, as deep European dominated fields filled with World Cup regulars provided for an action-packed week of racing south of the equator.
The week kicked off with two women’s and one men’s alpine combined race. The Czech Republic’s Ester Ledecka took her first of six wins in women’s race one with a total time of 1:52.32 seconds. Argentina’s Macarena Simari Birkner was second and Andorra’s Mireia Gutierrez finished in third.
Ledecka took the second women’s race in 1:54.82 seconds, once again edging out Simari Birkner in second by 0.91 seconds. Mathilde Nelles of Belgium found the podium in third, 1.60 seconds off the pace.
The men’s race saw the Slovenia duo of Martin Cater and Stefan Hadalin go one-two, respectively, with Cater’s time of 1:47.21 seconds a slim 0.17 seconds faster than his compatriot. Germany’s Christof Brandner landed in third, 0.70 seconds behind. The top South American racer on the day was Argentina’s Sebastiano Gastaldi in 13th place.
Racing then switched gears to the more traditional speed disciplines of super-G and downhill as Ledecka continued her winning ways for the women and the German men found their groove on race day.
The first women’s super-G race was all Ledecka as she handily took the win by over a second and a half with a time of 1:12.72 seconds. Jade Grillet Aubert finished in second, 1.54 seconds back and Dutch racer Claire Tan took third, 2.29 seconds behind.
Ledecka took race two with a time of 1:14.54 seconds, 0.87 seconds ahead of Simari Birkner in second. Nelles was third, 1.47 seconds back.
On the men’s side, Germany’s Josef Ferstl took his first win of the series with a time of 1:09.80, besting Slovenia’s Cater by 0.54 seconds. Frenchman Valentin Giraud Moine finished in third, 0.78 seconds off the pace. Chile’s Henrik Von Appen narrowly missed the podium in fourth place, 0.84 seconds back.
Ferstl also took the second men’s race with a time of 1:10.62 seconds, besting Italian World Champion Christof Innerhofer by 0.34 seconds in second place. Giraud Moine once again was on the podium in third, 0.72 seconds back. Von Appen was once again the top South American, finishing in 10th place.
There were no surprises in the women’s downhills as Ledecka took race one with a time of 1:05.29 seconds, 1.39 seconds ahead of Chile’s Noelle Barahona in second. Andorra’s Carmina Pallas was third, 2.06 seconds back.
Ledecka completed her sweep of the series as she took downhill number two with a time of 1:06.50. Barahona finished 1.52 seconds back in second place and Andorra’s Gutierrez was third, 2.57 seconds off the pace.
On the men’s side, Ferstl took downhill number one with a time of 2:07.24 seconds, 0.40 seconds ahead of is teammate Thomas Dressen in second. Slovenia’s Klemen Kosi was third, 0.46 seconds back. Von Appen was the top South American in eighth.
Men’s downhill two was won by Italy’s Mattia Casse — who turned heads last winter by winning the second training run in Kitzbuehel — with a time of 2:04.63 seconds. Norway’s Adrien Smiseth Sejersted was second, 0.48 seconds back and Kosi was once again third, 0.77 seconds off the pace. Chile’s Von Appen was 10th.
A second men’s alpine combined was also contested on the final day, with Germany’s Dressen taking the win with a time of 2:41.60 seconds. Croatian World Cup regular Natko Zirncic Dim was second, 0.42 seconds back and Slovenia’s Cater was third, 0.46 seconds behind. Von Appen finished in ninth for top South American.
South American Cup racing now moves to Cerro Castor, Ushuaia, Argentina, Sept. 26-29 for men’s and women’s slalom and giant slalom races.
For complete results, click here.
About the Author: Sean Higgins
