Lienz, Women’s giant slalom

Another win for Nicole Hosp

Lienz, Austria, Dec.27th – Austria’s women's ski team celebrated an unexpected one-two home triumph today when Nicole Hosp won her first giant slalom this season, outpacing Renate Goetschl by 65/100 of a second. It’s her second victory in a row – ten days ago she clinched a slalom in Madonna di Campiglio, Italy.

America’s Kirsten Clark of the United States achieved a career-best and even more surprising third, less than a second behind the winner. So far, the 26-year-old Clark mostly excelled in the speed events. She only got one top-10 place in giant slalom. She also collected several top-3 places in downhill and a silver medal in Super-G last February at the Worlds in St Moritz. She won a downhill in Lenzerheide, Switzerland, three years ago.

Martina Ertl, 4th missed the podium by only 19/100 – yet she improved her position in the overall World Cup standings as Sweden’s Anja Paerson missed a gate at the end of her first run while Michaela Dorfmeister only ended in 11th place. Italy’s Denise Karbon, the recent winner in Alta Badia, also skied out in the middle of the first run.

Hosp was strong

Hosp, who violently crashed in the season opener in Soelden, secured her third World Cup career win in clocking the fastest times in both runs. She was surprised by her strong achievements. “I made two big mistakes in the first run and was surprised I could be so fast" Hosp said after the race. “But I was a bit luckier than Anja Paerson or Denise Karbon. In the second run, I just tried to keep my time gap. I felt confident and I was aiming to win again in Austria. It’s always very special to be successful in front of your fans and friends”.
“I’m really pleased to have won a giant slalom after my recent victory in Italy in slalom. So far I was on the podium in my last five races!”
“This is a tough hill. I knew it from my younger years.

An icy course

Anja Paerson was faster than Hosp at her intermediate time but she skied to aggressively at the end of her first run. “It was too icy and I seem to have forgotten to check this gate with more interest during inspection” she said. “I had to attack hard because I was sure that Nicole would be again very strong. It’s too bad to give away so many points with such a stupid mistake”.
“Now I have no other choice than charge even harder tomorrow in the slalom”.

It’s the first since the giant slalom raced in Val d’Isère a year ago that Anja doesn’t finish a giant slalom. It has become her best event last season with a total of five wins including her success at the 2003 World Championships. She also clinched her first Crystal Globe in that specialty in March.

3rd GS podium for Renate

Second-placed Goetschl, mostly a downhill and Super-G specialist, achieved her career best giant slalom finish. It’s the only specialty in which she didn’t celebrate a World Cup victory so far. In March 1993 she already won a slalom as well as some combined later on. She was more than amazed by her success. “"I can’t believe reaching the podium here” it’s wonderful. I am more s speed skier now and finishing 2nd in such a difficult discipline is wonderful and unexpected too!" she said. This performance reinforced her chances to seriously challenge Anja Paerson in the overall World Cup standings. This season, she already won a Super-G and a downhill in Canada and Switzerland.

In Sunday’s slalom, Paerson will try to fight back and regain her momentum in time for the New Year celebration. She already won a slalom in Lienz two years ago.

ML