Great season start for Martina Ertl

Germany’s Martina Ertl achieved quite an impressive comeback in Soelden’s sunny World Cup Opening in winning her first World Cup race for a long time.
The 30-year-old Bavarian veteran who beat by 20/100 of a second Sweden’s Anja Paerson, the reigning GS World Champion, has not won a World Cup event since her last success here in October 2000.
She was 2nd in the first leg, only 4/100 behind the leader, Maria-José Rienda-Contreras. The 28-year-old Spanish skier reached her very first World Cup podium in finishing 3rd ahead of one of last year’s winners, Slovenia’s Tina Maze.
Other favorites as Italy’s Karen Putzer or Switzerland’s Sonja Nef, who injured herself at a knee last winter, also ended among the top-10 while Austria’s specialists struggled more or less.
Alexandra Meissnitzer was 8th but Michaela Dorfmeister, a winner here two years ago, was a far 27th after a disastrous second run. Her teammate Nicole Hosp, co-winner here last season along Maze and Norway’s Andrine Flemmen, crashed in the first run. She slightly injured herself at her knee and her back, but she should be able to compete in a month in Park City.

Martina Ertl at her best

Ertl showed much emotion after her newest triumph, her 14th on the World Cup Tour since March 1993. “I’m having a hard time to realize what is happening to me today. I didn’t expect to reach the podium here on this demanding course. It’s really a dream which came true because I have been waiting it for such a long time. A year ago, I even didn’t qualify for the second run because of the bad weather conditions. I really struggled in giant slalom until I reached again the podium in Maribor last January where I came in 3rd. I had many health problems in past winters but now I’m feel very confident. I’m in good shape and I use terrific material. Since last summer, I’m also racing with Rossignol boots which also helped me to ski so fast today”.
A winner in the giant slalom World Cup standings in 1998, Martina was also twice 2nd in the overall standings in 1996 and 1998.
After this superb success, she aims for another strong World Cup season yet without thinking too much about the Crystal globe.
“I know I have the potential to fight for the overall victory but I don’t want to think too much about it” she says. “Three years ago I injured myself at a knee after winning here so I know how fast you can be out!”
“I was lucky to come afterwards to win gold in combined at St Anton and bronze at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City”.
“This season I want to focus more on the technical disciplines and race less downhills. It should help me to find back my form also in slalom. I said to Anja on the podium that I’m back. She will also go for it. The most important is to stay healthy throughout the winter”.
“Now I don’t feel not so much pressure anymore, being on the podium at the opening is a great boost for your moral”.

Anja went for it

Anja Paerson, 3rd here two years ago, was pretty pleased too by her achievement. The defending GS World Cup champion was pretty nervous before her start and she made mistakes in both runs in attacking as hard as possible. She clocked the fastest time in the second run.
“It was really a tough course, very icy in some parts” Anja commented after the race. “In the first run, I had to wait a long time at the start because Nicole Hosp has crashed on the course. My legs became very hard and I lost much energy. I tried my best afterwards”.
“It’s my best season start, so I can’t be upset. I always want to win when I compete. I must say that I feel very sure and relaxed for the moment. I don’t want to think about the World Cup standings but just about giving my best and having as much fun as possible”.

With four skiers among the best 16, the Italian team had a remarkable day. Karen Putzer definitely belongs to the group of World Cup favorites with Paerson, Ertl and the Austrian Dorfmeister and Renate Goetschl, 15th this time.
America’s Sarah Schleper who lost over two seconds on Ertl in the first run, achieved a nice comeback in the afternoon. She ended in 7th position, her best result ever in Soelden. After a disappointing 2003 season, the skier from Colorado seems ready to celebrate a nice comeback.

This race also ended on a positive note for Switzerland’s Sonja Nef, who competed in her first race since injuring herself at a knee last February. The 2001 World Champion reached an encouraging 10th place without pushing herself at her limits.
Canada’s Allison Forsyth, the bronze medallist in the specialty in St Moritz, didn’t finish the 1st run.

Rossignol achieved again an impressive performance with six skiers among the top-7. Last year, two of the three winners, Maze and Flemmen, also used Rossignol skis.

The next women’s races are scheduled in one month in Utah’s Park City where a giant slalom and a slalom are planned on November 29th – 30th .

Patrick Lang