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Pretnar
Scores Third Win
Santa Caterina, Italy
February 12, 2000
Women's Slalom
Slovenia's Spela Pretnar won a crucial slalom today
in Italy's Santa Caterina, where she beat France's Christel
Saioni by 30/100 of a second. Sweden's Anja Paerson
placed 3rd at 47/100 behind.
Pretnar
After Norway's Trine Bakke, leader in the first run,
skied off course, Pretnar also took the lead in the
slalom World Cup standings — which she aims to
win next month during the finals in Bormio, Italy.
America's Kristina Koznick, who's been struggling this
season, rediscovered her winning form today, coming
in 4th and missing her first podium of the winter by
only 37/100. She now seems ready to win again —
maybe next weekend in Åre, Sweden, where she celebrated
her very first success in 1998.
American Sarah Schleper finished 18th and Caroline Lalive
took 25th, but managed a podium spot in the combined,
won by Austrian Renate Goetschl. Goetschl was 20th in
the slalom, allowing her to get closer to her teammate
Michaela Dorfmeister in the Overall World Cup standings.
Pretnar is by far the best ""slalom dancer""
on flat courses. Today marks her second consecutive
slalom win, after her previous successes in Germany's
Berchtesgaden in January and at Copper Mountain at the
end of November. She was 3rd in the first leg, 65/100
behind Trine Bakke, and had no other choice but to go
for it in the second run, in order to improve her standings.
"I gave all that I had in me from the start and
I was pretty tired in the last gates. Fortunately, I'm
in great shape and I was able to achieve a strong and
a clean run...." — Spela Pretnar (SLO)
"I was pretty relaxed in the first run but I wanted
more in the second run," she explained. "I
gave all that I had in me from the start and I was pretty
tired in the last gates. Fortunately, I'm in great shape
and I was able to achieve a strong and a clean run.
"I, myself, am amazed by my great season —
I didn't expect it at all at the beginning of the winter.
It's quite incredible to now fight for the slalom World
Cup standings. I'm very excited to race again in Åre,
where I won my first slalom last year. And I like Bormio,
too. I won my first giant slalom there during the 1995
Finals. It will be a tough battle until the end."
Ironically, the outgoing Pretnar, a TV reporter in the
off-season, had decided to give up ski racing last spring
to study economy in the US. She even missed the first
training camps before changing her mind. Now, she may
well decide to keep on skiing at least another year
— maybe until the 2002 Olympics at Salt Lake City.
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Visit Santa Caterina
Pretnar has had some bad luck in past battles over medals.
At the championships at Vail last season, she straddled
a gate in the second run while fighting for gold in
the slalom. This made her so depressed, she didn't enjoy
her first success in that event two weeks later, in
Åre.
Yet, her standings lead over Christel Saioni (FRA) is
quite small — only four points. Saioni doesn't
know how to handle this new situation. "When I
thought about the season, last summer, I was aiming
for some top-10 results and now I'm fighting for the
Crystal Globe — it's quite incredible," she
said. "I had problems in both runs today, and I
was quite pleased to finish second in the end."
KoznickKristina Koznick was one of the fastest skiers
in the second run, as well. Her strong 5th-place finish
boosted her morale in the first run and this time she
was able to improve her position in the second leg.
"It's for sure a great result, especially after
the tough moments I went through in the last months,"
said Koznick. "I went home after Berchtesgaden
and that was a good idea. I could do my laundry and
relax a while. I needed such a result to regain my momentum
before the end of the season. I know that I can win
again."
The next women's races will take place in Åre,
where a night giant slalom, a downhill and a slalom
are scheduled from Thursday to Sunday. Michaela Dorfmeister
will have to fight hard to retain her lead in front
of Renate Goetschl and Régine Cavagnoud.
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