. world ski news : Sandra Frei and Robert Fagan post best times in today’s SBX qualifiers in Veysonnaz - 14 January 2010 - 16:04
Besides top qualifier Sandra Frei (1:02.41 min) and runner-up Mellie Francon (1:02.54) also Tanja Frieden, Simona Meiler and Olivia Nobs made it to the final heats finishing as seventh, eighth and 13th respectively.
The top 16 also included big names like Canada's Dominique Maltais (3rd) and Maelle Ricker (4th) as well as 2007 World Champions Lindsey Jacobellis from the USA (5th) and reigning World Champion Helene Olafsen from Norway (6th).
While Switzerland's female squad underlined its strength with five out of six in tomorrow's heat finals (only Emily Aubry missed it being edged of as 17th by eight hundredths), only two out of four Swiss riders survived the men's time trials. Hans Reichen finished 21st (58.32 sec) and Fabio Caduff in 25th (58.65) while Arnold Ruben and Thomas Feldmann failed to qualify ending up as 44th and 55th.
French rider again on top
The top 32nd riders were henpecked once again by Pierre Vaultier. The Frenchman had also dominated the qualifiers in Chapelco and Bad Gastein while placing 14th in the qualifiers at Telluride. Today, the 22-years-old nailed 57.79 seconds. Within a gap of 55 hundredths behind four US-Americans followed: Seth Wescott as 2nd (57.96), Graham Watanabe as 3rd (58.09), Nick Baumgartner as 4th (58.23) and Nate Holland as 5th (58.34).
First man to drop out of the bunch of athletes meeting in the K.o. heats of four was Mario Fuchs. The Austrian who had placed third last Sunday in Bad Gastein missed tomorrow's action by only two hundredths (1:00.00 min) as 33rd. And as if this wouldn't have been enough, the 33-years-old also suffered a tailbone bruise.
FISsnowboard.com
Thursday 14 January 2010