. world ski news : SG Swiss surprise ! - 07 March 2010 - 11:39
CRANS MONTANA, Switzerland - It looked as if Lindsey Vonn had clinched the 33rd World Cup win of her career in Crans Montana on Sunday. Wearing bib No. 22, she fired down the course 0.32 seconds ahead of then-leader Julia Mancuso. The two, as they did in the Olympic downhill a couple weeks ago, were standing side by side in the leader's box under blue skies and sun, about to take the two top steps of the podium.
But then, wearing bib No. 29 and much to the delight of the enthusiastic Swiss flag-waving crowd, Dominique Gisin threw down her fastest race in more than a year. Leading right out of the gate, the Swiss skier - miraculously recovered from her hideous crash on the Olympic downhill course in Whistler (she was the one who crashed upon landing off the finish jump and rolled like a rag doll across the finish line), landed her first win of the season in 1 minute, 24.14 seconds.
It was the first World Cup victory for the 24-year-old since her back-to-back downhill wins last season in Altenmark-Zauchensee and Cortina d'Ampezzo, and her first ever in super G. The victory was especially sweet for Gisin since just a month before the Olympic Games, she underwent the eighth knee surgery of her career following a crash that tore her meniscus in Haus im Ennstal in January. When it became clear that the race was hers, the Swiss team shook open a bottle of champagne and all toasted their teammate in the finish area.
Once again sporting her new pink cheetah-spotted speed suit, Vonn opened her mouth in surprise upon watching Gisin cross the finish line, but smiled and waved to the cameras even as she moved to the second step of the podium, 0.15 seconds off the pace. Julia Mancuso, donning large sunglasses and also waving, took the third step, 0.38 off the winning pace. Hot off her two Olympic silver medals, it was the best World Cup result for Mancuso, who voluntarily skipped the downhill and super-combined races in Crans Montana, since February of 2008. It was just the fourth podium of her Cup career in super G (though she took SG bronze at the 2005 world championships).
Mancuso good-naturedly laughed and chatted with Gisin while waiting for the flower ceremony after the race, dancing to the spontaneous song the Swiss crowd broke into for their countrywoman.
Including her Olympic bronze performance and world championship gold last season, it was the 11th straight podium for Vonn in super G. The last time she didn't finish on the podium in the discipline was January of last year.
According to U.S. women's head coach Jim Tracy, the wind was gusting up to 40 kilometers per hour and both Vonn and Mancuso stuck out their speedy runs through a series of head winds.
"We had a big issue with wind today," Tracy said. "I have to say, the girls knew it, we told them they needed to fly low and execute everything we'd been telling them, and they did exactly that. It's absolutely great. This is a huge thing for Jules, especially. We're all very proud of her efforts. She's had her struggles, but I'm hoping all of those are behind her. It's a great way to end the World Cup season."
As the top 14 racers all finished within the same second on Sunday, the other Americans didn't fair quite so well. Stacey Cook, Leanne Smith and Laurenne Ross finished 32nd, 33rd and 34th, respectively, while Chelsea Marshall was 39th and Alice McKennis was among the handful of racers to land outside of the final jump of the course and miss the ensuing gate.
Of the Canadians, Emily Brydon had the best finish in 16th, while Britt Janyk was 28th.
It was Gisin's first World Cup victory on home turf, and she sang along to her national anthem during the ceremony laughing and shaking her head as it wrapped up and her coaches carried her off the podium on their shoulders.
"All of us are really happy for her," Tracy said of Gisin. "That was a great accomplishment for her. She's been through some tough times."
The World Cup continues with Finals in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, beginning Wednesday with downhill training.
- S.F.
Rank Bib FIS Code Name Year Nation Total Time FIS Points
1 29 515747 GISIN Dominique 1985 SUI 1:24.14 0.00
2 21 537544 VONN Lindsey 1984 USA 1:24.29 1.89
3 9 537545 MANCUSO Julia 1984 USA 1:24.52 4.79
4 18 515170 STYGER Nadia 1978 SUI 1:24.56 5.29
5 15 195671 JACQUEMOD Ingrid 1978 FRA 1:24.74 7.56
6 19 565243 MAZE Tina 1983 SLO 1:24.81 8.44
7 20 505483 PAERSON Anja 1981 SWE 1:24.82 8.57
8 8 206001 RIESCH Maria 1984 GER 1:24.84 8.82
9 13 196460 MARCHAND-ARVIER Marie 1985 FRA 1:25.01 10.96
10 22 55576 GOERGL Elisabeth 1981 AUT 1:25.05 11.46
11 2 296427 SCHNARF Johanna 1984 ITA 1:25.06 11.59
12 17 55750 FISCHBACHER Andrea 1985 AUT 1:25.07 11.72
13 1 296472 FANCHINI Elena 1985 ITA 1:25.10 12.09
14 7 206175 STECHERT Gina 1987 GER 1:25.12 12.35
15 10 515849 DETTLING Andrea 1987 SUI 1:25.23 13.73
16 30 105997 BRYDON Emily 1980 CAN 1:25.29 14.49
17 16 515766 SUTER Fabienne 1985 SUI 1:25.34 15.12
17 12 55947 FENNINGER Anna 1989 AUT 1:25.34 15.12
19 38 55759 KIRCHGASSER Michaela 1985 AUT 1:25.48 16.88
20 25 515806 KAMER Nadja 1986 SUI 1:25.57 18.02
21 37 55882 STAUDINGER Christina 1987 AUT 1:25.60 18.39
22 23 205218 REBENSBURG Viktoria 1989 GER 1:25.72 19.90
23 28 225206 ALCOTT Chemmy 1982 GBR 1:25.79 20.79
24 6 515429 DUMERMUTH Monika 1977 SUI 1:25.88 21.92
25 36 296008 MERIGHETTI Daniela 1981 ITA 1:25.91 22.30
26 50 505886 KLING Kajsa 1988 SWE 1:25.94 22.68
27 4 106022 JANYK Britt 1980 CAN 1:26.00 23.43
28 3 565320 FERK Marusa 1988 SLO 1:26.05 24.06
29 5 55970 SCHMIDHOFER Nicole 1989 AUT 1:26.06 24.19
30 11 295533 RECCHIA Lucia 1980 ITA 1:26.08 24.44
31 46 537582 COOK Stacey 1984 USA 1:26.12 24.94
32 31 538305 SMITH Leanne 1987 USA 1:26.20 25.95
33 39 538573 ROSS Laurenne 1988 USA 1:26.24 26.46
34 47 296431 STUFFER Verena 1984 ITA 1:26.27 26.83
35 14 505632 LINDELL-VIKARBY Jessica 1984 SWE 1:26.38 28.22
36 24 55766 MADER Regina 1985 AUT 1:26.50 29.73
37 44 538038 MARSHALL Chelsea 1986 USA 1:26.61 31.12
38 34 106666 RUBENS Shona 1986 CAN 1:26.67 31.87
39 35 297910 CURTONI Elena 1991 ITA 1:26.75 32.88
40 27 55818 KOEHLE Stefanie 1986 AUT 1:27.04 36.53
41 52 55898 BREM Eva-Maria 1988 AUT 1:27.32 40.06
42 42 197295 PIOT Jennifer 1992 FRA 1:27.33 40.19
43 43 196573 REVILLET Aurelie 1986 FRA 1:27.38 40.82
44 41 297702 MARSAGLIA Francesca 1990 ITA 1:27.42 41.32
45 40 297134 BORSOTTI Camilla 1988 ITA 1:27.57 43.21
46 51 425880 SEJERSTED Lotte Smiseth 1991 NOR 1:27.72 45.10
47 49 196968 BAILET Margot 1990 FRA 1:28.01 48.75
48 33 297153 CIPRIANI Enrica 1988 ITA 1:28.08 49.64
49 53 155431 MARKOVA Dana 1985 CZE 1:30.99 86.30
Disqualified 1st run
48 538685 MCKENNIS Alice 1989 USA
32 55806 ALTACHER Margret 1986 AUT
26 495318 RUIZ CASTILLO Carolina 1981 SPA
Did not finish 1st run
45 515782 ABDERHALDEN Marianne 1986 SUI
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